Acne and its treatment

Acne is a multifactorial disease affecting the pilosebaceous follicles. It is a treatable condition for which the aims of therapy are to reduce social isolation and to prevent or minimise scarring. Propionibacterium acnes is an anaerobic bacterium strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of acne. A g radual increase in the resistance of P. acnes to many antibiotics has been documented in the last decade, and there is thus a growing need to use eith er appropriate antibiotics or even change the therapeutic strategy in favou r of other regimens, i.e. isotretinoin, antiandrogens. A treatment guide is presented and the side-effects of these regimens are discussed.