Acne at its Worst - Uncommon Forms Which Can Disfigure

Severe acne can cause physical as well as emotional scars. Although most people stress out over the occasional zit, acne can deliver serious blows to an individual's sense of confidence and self-perception.  Acne can cause a person to experience consistently blemished skin that may include pimples, papules, abscesses, cysts, blackheads, whiteheads, and other painful inflammations of the skin.  Moreover, acne can be a whole body problem.  While most people are seriously afflicted primarily in the facial area, many people also experience considerable blemishing across their back, chest, neck, and other areas of the body.

While most people experience the brunt of acne during the difficult adolescent years, imagine the agony of living with acne well into your middle years.  With the stress of modern day living and increased exposure to environmental pollutants, adult acne is becoming a fact of life for many adults.  Although most people will only have to deal with transient acne, some will experience far worse.  Here is a quick run-down of the most serious forms of acne.

Acne Conglobata (AC) This is a very uncommon form of acne that can produce significant disfiguration.  Acne conglobata is characterized by the development of burrows in the skin, along with papules, abscesses, keloidal and atrophic facial scars.  Individuals with AC often develop blemishes that appear in clusters of two or three.  Cysts are often present that are filled with pus. Nodules may also be present, especially in the area of the back and chest.

Who is more susceptible to acne conglobata? In general, males are more likely to experience AC.  Onset of AC usually occurs at a young age, between the ages of 18 and 30.  Although no one knows the exact cause of AC, some believe it is caused by a mutation in the XXY karyotype chromosomes.  A person with AC may experience extensive scarring and subsequent disfigurement.  Because the effects of AC can often be dramatic, individuals afflicted with the skin disorder may be at greater risk of suffering from self-esteem issues, depression, anxiety, and they may feel stigmatized.

Acne Fulminans (AF):  Acne fulminans, sometimes referred to as acne maligna, was originally thought to be acne conglobata (AC).

The major characteristics of acne fulminans include sudden onset of ulcerating acne, which may be accompanied by fever and symptoms of polyarthritis.  Usually, AF does not respond well to conventional acne treatment, such as antibacterial therapy.  The most successful treatments appear to be debridement used in conjunction with steroid therapy.

What causes AF?  It appears that acne fulminans is caused by a weakened immune system and increased levels of testosterone and certain anabolic steroids.  These high levels of hormones cause an increase in the production and excretion of sebum and the acne-inducing bacteria known as propionibacterium acnes (P acnes).  Some skin professionals believe that isotretinoin may also precipitate an eruption of AF.

How can you tell the difference between acne conglobata and acne fulminans?  Although the physical symptoms may at first appear identical, AF is usually characterized by the presence of more physical pain.  Patients with AF may describe feelings of bone or facial pain, migraines, and fever.  Acne conglobata and acne fulminans also differ in the way they are treated.  While AC may be treated with conventional anti-acne oral and topical agents, AF typically does not respond well to such treatments.  AF responds better to steroid treatments.

Gram-Negative Folliculitis: Gram-negative folliculitis refers to an infection of gram-negative rods that usually occurs after an extended period of antibiotic therapy.  Scientists use the word "gram" to describe the blue stain that is used in laboratories. This is often used to locate microscopic organisms.  The bacteria that cause gram-negative folliculitis does not stain blue, thus the term 'gram-negative.'  The most common forms of bacteria that are believed to cause gram-negative folliculitis include E. coli, serratia marcesoens, pseudomonas aeruginosa, and bacteria's from the proteus and klebsiella species.

How does gram-negative folliculitis differ from regular acne vulgaris?  Most cases of gram-negative folliculitis produce less papules and comedones than acne vulgaris.  Treatment of gram-negative folliculitis is fortunately much easier to treat than other severe types of acne.  In most cases, conventional antibiotic therapy will help clear up gram-negative folliculitis.  Isotretinoin may also help clear up this condition.

Acne: Rambazole Can Be A Good Medication Against Acne In Future

A study with Rambazole, a novel retinoic acid metabolism-blocking agent (RAMBA), determined that 94 per cent of subjects -with moderate-to-severe acne treated with 1 mg of oral Rambazole once daily for 12 consecutive weeks- experienced reduction in total acne lesion count of more than 50 per cent and 35 per cent were considered "cleared or almost cleared.

This study points to the production of this medication on future, since Barrier Therapeutics, Inc. reported positive Phase 2a data for its oral formulation of Rambazole (TM) in the treatment of moderate to severe acne and positive biological activity data for its topical formulation of this product.

Experts explain that a subject must have had more than 90 per cent reduction in total lesion count to be considered “cleared or almost cleared”. According to their report, inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions responded equally well to treatment. There were no serious effects related to the treatment with this new component. Only some patients of the group in study experienced dryness of skin and lips as non-serious side effects.

Geert Cauwenbergh, Ph.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Barrier Therapeutics, Inc. explained that “these positive Phase 2a results indicate that oral Rambazole is active in moderate to severe inflammatory acne, and that depending on the outcome of future, full scale clinical trials, this drug may one day fill the need for safe and effective oral treatments for moderate and severe acne. These results further build on our previously announced promising clinical data for oral Rambazole for psoriasis”.

Accutane: The Acne Killer?

Acne is the most common skin disorder amongst adolescence and adults alike.It has plagued us for generations and continues to affect us today.

There are four main causes of acne, as stated by the American academy of dermatology. These four causes are hormones, increased sebum production, changes inside hair follicles, and bacteria.An oily substance, called sebum, is secreted by the sebaceous glands when the hair follicles and sebaceous glands are inflamed.An excess amount of sebum can clog the follicles (pours) and eventually leads to bacterial formation and inflammation of the follicles.

Accutane is considered to be the ultimate, end-all medication for eliminating acne.Accutane is used to treat severe cases of acne which have not been healed through conventional antibiotics and topical creams.It is used to control all of the underlying causes of acne by normalizing your follicles, decreasing sebum production, reducing inflammation and limiting the growth of bacteria.

However, there are also many side effects that you should be aware of when choosing to use Accutane as a remedy for acne.Two of the most serious possible side effects associated with taking Accutane include birth defects and serious mental health problems (including suicidal tendencies). There are also many other possible side effects associated with Accutane that you should review with your doctor or health care provider before the use of this medication.

In order to decide whether this treatment is right for you; you should discuss with your doctor how severe your acne is, what other treatments you’ve tried, the possible benefits of accutane, the possible side effects of accutane and any other health related issues that may affect you while taking accutane (i.e. use of antibiotics, depression, etc.)

Take a look at www.acnejournal.com for more information.