Concentrated acne (acne conglobata) is a form of common acne with severe course. Characteristic for this form of the disease are numerous blackheads, purulent cysts with a tendency to coalesce, and deep infiltrates. Focused acne develops mainly in men, although it can also occur in women. What are the causes of focused acne? How is the treatment going?

Contents:

  1. Focused acne - where are the changes?
  2. Focused acne - symptoms
  3. Focused acne - causes
  4. Focused acne - treatment

Focused acne(acne conglobata) is a severe form of one of the most common skin diseases, acne vulgaris. The changes occur mainly on the face, which very often causes low self-esteem of patients and many problems in contacts with peers.

Focused acne - where are the changes?

The skin lesions of acne focused are primarily on the face, but can also appear on the back, buttocks, chest, abdomen and arms.

If acne on the back, chest and face are part of the so-called acne tetrades, which also include chronic inflammatory eruptions located in the groin and armpits and follicular pyoderma of the scalp.

Focused acne - symptoms

People suffering from acne focused on the skin experience a variety of changes. The first to appear are:

  • hair follicle plugs
  • micro-blackheads
  • closed and open blackheads

The spigots are the most visible because they are large and numerous.

The next stage in the development of the disease is the formation of pimples, which indicate a superficial inflammation.

There are also lumps on the skin that are related to deeply located inflammation.

If inflammation is left untreated, purulent cysts form that merge into larger clusters and infiltrate deeply. This type of cyst is quite easy to rupture on its own. When this happens, a foul-smelling, serous-purulent discharge from the inside.

The cyst wound is painful, oozing, often covered with a hard crust, and the healing process is very slow.

Another type of skin lesions are fistulas that develop in the nasolabial or mandibular area, on the neck and on the bridge of the nose.

After healed lesions, scars of various sizes remain. They can be atrophic or follicular scars that look like closed blackheads or milia.

Large keloids, i.e. overgrown, hardened or lumpy skin lesions, also often remain. They are usually visible on the back and chest.

Focused acne - causes

The peak incidence of focused acne falls on adolescence, but sometimes the disease develops in adults.

The main cause of concentrated acne is the individual tendency to excessive sebum production and keratinization of the hair follicle, the obstruction of which hinders the sebum outflow.

Hormonal changes are responsible for stimulating the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum.

The microenvironment of the hair follicle promotes development:

  • Staphylococcus epidermidis (is a gram-positive bacterial species belonging to the staphylococcal genus that causes opportunistic infections)
  • Propionibacterium acnes(it is the pathogen responsible for the formation of acne vulgaris lesions)

Enzymes produced by bacteria additionally disrupt the keratinization process.

The formation of skin lesions in concentrated acne is also favored by taking certain medications. These include preparations containing, for example :

  • hydantoin
  • glucocorticosteroids
  • izoniazyd
  • androgeny

The disease is also favored by severe stress.

It is also known that cluster acne often occurs in women with polycystic ovary syndrome and in people with the XYY genotype, that is, with a syndrome of birth defects caused by trisomy of the sex chromosomes with an extra Y chromosome. This syndrome is sometimes called the hyper-male syndrome or the super-male syndrome.

Focused acne - treatment

The best results in the treatment of acne are so-called combined therapy, i.e. the simultaneous use of topical preparations and oral medications.

Topical medications are in the form of gels, creams, ointments and lotions. The active substances commonly used in the treatment of concentrated acne are:

  • tretinoin, which has an exfoliating and comedolytic effect (reduces the number and size of blackheads) and normalizes keratinization of the hair follicles
  • benzoyl peroxide - has a drying, antibacterial, keratolytic effect, has strong oxidizing properties,stimulates collagen synthesis and granulation processes
  • azelaic acid - has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-blackhead properties, slightly exfoliating, lightens discoloration and regulates keratinization processes
  • antibiotics - the most common recommendations are erythromycin or clindamycin, which destroy bacteria, reduce the amount of free fatty acids and fight inflammation

The primary goal of focused acne treatment is to reduce sebum production, soothe inflammation, and restore the skin's natural processes.

Proper skin care and hygiene are also an integral part of the treatment of focused acne.

Patients should also refrain from squeezing changes. Their removal should be discussed with your doctor or an experienced cosmetologist.

About the authorAnna Jarosz A journalist who has been involved in popularizing he alth education for over 40 years. Winner of many competitions for journalists dealing with medicine and he alth. She received, among others The "Golden OTIS" Trust Award in the "Media and He alth" category, St. Kamil awarded on the occasion of the World Day of the Sick, twice the "Crystal Pen" in the national competition for journalists promoting he alth, and many awards and distinctions in competitions for the "Medical Journalist of the Year" organized by the Polish Association of Journalists for He alth.

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Category:

Dermatology