Clinical characteristics of acne vulgaris on patients attending a dermatological clinic in Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Acne vulgaris is a disease of the pilosebaceous units of the skin characterized by chronic inflammation, it is a disease of teenager and young adults, affects both male and female in varying degree of severity. This study is designed to evaluate the clinical characteristics of acne vulgaris in teenagers and young adults between the age of 13 and 40years for improved management of the disease. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with the participation 260 patients between 13 and 40 years attending the dermatology clinic in Obafemi Awolowo university teaching hospital Ile-Ife Osun state which involved detailed clerking and clinical examination of the type and site of affectation of the acne under bright light. Results: Two hundred and sixty (260) people with acne vulgaris participated in the studywith mean age of 20.0+4.7years.The result showed that there were more females (53.7%) than males(42.7%), The pattern of presentation shows comedone accounted for the highest proportion (49.6%) of the acne lessions observed among the sampled patient across different age groups, the results also reveals that (83.8%) of patients had their face affected by acne vulgaris, this was followe by face and neck accounting for (9.2%) and chest(3.1%) ,while the least body part affected was back accounting for (1.2%) of the body part affected. The most common complications foll0wing acne among affected patients was post inflammatory hyperpigmentation accounting for (49.6%) followed by atrophic scars (30.8%), while kelodal scar is the least accounting for (6.5%). Conclusion: Acne vulgaris is a chronic disease of pilosebaceous unit common in teenagers and young adult with comedonal acne being the most predominant pattern, while nodulocystic was the least and post inflammatory hyperpigmentation is the most common complication and the least was keloidal scar.