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Underestimated clinical features of postadolescent acne

  • Bruno Capitanio, MD

      Affiliations

    • Pediatric Dermatology Department, San Gallicano Institute, Istituti Fisioterapici Ospitalieri, Rome
    • ,
  • Jo Linda Sinagra, MD

      Affiliations

    • Pediatric Dermatology Department, San Gallicano Institute, Istituti Fisioterapici Ospitalieri, Rome
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Jo Linda Sinagra, MD, Pediatric Dermatology Department, San Gallicano Istituto di Ricerca e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144 Roma, Italy.
    • ,
  • Valentina Bordignon, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Clinical Pathology and Microbiology, San Gallicano Institute, Istituti Fisioterapici Ospitalieri, Rome
    • ,
  • Paola Cordiali Fei, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Clinical Pathology and Microbiology, San Gallicano Institute, Istituti Fisioterapici Ospitalieri, Rome
    • ,
  • Mauro Picardo, MD

      Affiliations

    • Cutaneous Physiopathology Department, San Gallicano Institute, Istituti Fisioterapici Ospitalieri, Rome
    • ,
  • Christos C. Zouboulis, MD

      Affiliations

    • Departments of Dermatology, Venereology, Allergology, and Immunology, Dessau Medical Center, Germany

Accepted 13 November 2009. published online 09 July 2010.
Corrected Proof

Background

Postadolescent acne is usually described as an inflammatory, mild-to-moderate dermatosis, frequently involving the lower third of the face, the jawline, and the neck. However, we have also frequently observed a clinical form predominantly characterized by retention lesions (microcomedones and macrocomedones), with few inflammatory lesions (comedonal postadolescent acne [CPAA]), which appears significantly correlated with cigarette smoking.

Objective

We sought to investigate the clinical features of postadolescent acne in a group of female patients affected by acne and its relationship with cigarette smoking.

Methods

A total of 226 women with acne (25-50 years) attending our department were examined by a team of 3 dermatologists, to assess the age of onset of the disease, and the number, type, and distribution of acne lesions.

Results

In all, 192 of 226 patients (85.0%) were classified as having CPAA and 34 as having papulopustular postadolescent acne. A smoking habit was confirmed in 150 of 226 (66.3%). Remarkably, 72.9% of patients with CPAA were smokers as compared with only 29.4% of those with papulopustular postadolescent acne (P < .0001).

Limitations

Possible limitations are related to geographic area or to the prevalence of darker skin types (III and IV) (data about skin types have not been collected). Other possible aggravating factors (ie, stress and diet) have not been investigated.

Conclusions

According to our results, CPAA appears as the most frequent clinical form of postadolescent acne and seems to be strictly correlated with cigarette smoking.

Key words: cigarette smoking, clinical features, postadolescent acne

Abbreviations used: ACh, acetylcholine, CPAA, comedonal postadolescent acne, PPAA, papulopustular postadolescent acne

 

 Funding sources: None.

 Conflicts of interest: None declared.

PII: S0190-9622(09)01488-1

doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2009.11.021

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