Five recent developments in acne

Results of a systematic review and meta-analysis finding that monthly laboratory testing was not supported for patients receiving standard doses of oral isotretinoin for the treatment of acne was among developments recently reported on Healio.com/Dermatology.

Other developments included findings that postadolescent males with acne were more prone to insulin resistance, and Canadian researchers’ new evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for managing acne:

Monthly lab testing not supported for isotretinoin treatment for acne

Results of a systematic review and meta-analysis found that monthly laboratory testing was not supported for patients receiving standard doses of oral isotretinoin for the treatment of acne.

Researchers searched Ovid/Medline, Embase and gray literature from 1960 to Aug. 1, 2013, to identify relevant studies of isotretinoin use in acne vulgaris. Read more

Young men with acne more prone to insulin resistance

Postadolescent males with acne had a higher prevalence of insulin resistance compared with control patients, according to study results recently published in JAMA Dermatology.

Researchers in India conducted a cross-sectional study on 100 male patients aged 20 to 32 years (mean age, 22.7 years) and 100 age-matched controls without acne (mean age, 23.7 years) from a dermatology outpatient department. Read more

Canadian acne guideline suggests updated evaluation, treatment

A panel of Canadian researchers has published a new evidence-based clinical practice guideline for management of acne that provides updated recommendations for methods of evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of acne in children and adults based on severity.

Shannon Humphrey

“Since the last Canadian acne guideline was published in 2000, evidence for multiple additional treatments has been published,” Shannon Humphrey, BSc, MD, associate clinical professor in the department of dermatology and skin science at the University of British Columbia, and colleagues wrote. Read more

Microneedling enhances topical anesthesia application for acne scar treatment

Fractional microneedling plus topical anesthesia decreased pain sensation better than topical anesthesia alone when used prior to microneedling procedures for treating postacne scarring, according to recently published study results.

Researchers studied 15 patients (average age, 25 years; nine males) who were seeking treatment of different types of postacne atrophic scars. Read more

BioPharmX reports BPX-01 topical minocycline safely treats acne

BioPharmX Corp. announced that research shows its topical minocycline formula, BPX-01, safely delivers the antibiotic to a layer of skin where acne develops.

Minocycline is an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory medicine that has generally been prescribed as an oral medication to treat acne due to its lower resistance rate compared with other antibiotics. Read more