Monday, March 7, 2011

FAQ on Acne- Everything You Need to Know About Acne


 Define  acne.

Acne could be defined as  an inflammatory,  mostly a chronic, disease of the sebaceous glands, in the form of   papules, tubercles, or pustules, or even a mixture of these lesions, and  usually appeared on the face.


At what age does acne usually occur?

Between the ages of fifteen and thirty, at which time the glandular
structures are naturally more or less active.

Describe thesymptoms of acne  
Irregularly scattered over the face, and in some cases also over the neck, shoulders and upper part of the trunk, are to be seen several,fifty or more, pin-head- to pea-sized papules, tubercles or pustules;commonly the eruption is of a mixed type (_acne vulgaris_), the severalkinds of lesions in all stages of evolution and subsidence presenting inthe single case. Interspersed may generally be seen blackheads, or
comedones. The lesions may be sluggish in character, or they may be
markedly inflammatory, with hard and indurated bases. In the course of
several days or weeks, the papules and tubercles tend gradually to
disappear by absorption; or, and as commonly the case, they become
pustular, discharge their contents, or dry and slowly or rapidly
disappear, with or without leaving a permanent trace, new lesions
arising, here and there, to take their place. In exceptional instances
the eruption is limited to the back, and in these cases the eruption is
usually extensive and persistent, and not infrequently leaves scars.


What do you understand by acne punctata, acne papulosa, acne pustulosa,
acne indurata, acne atrophica, acne hypertrophica, and acne
cachecticorum?

These several terms indicate that the lesions present are, for the most
part, of one particular character or variety.


Describe the lesions giving rise to the names of these various types

Blocking up of the outlet of the sebaceous gland (comedo), which is
usually the beginning of an acne lesion, may cause a moderate degree of
hyperæmia and inflammation, and a slight elevation, with a central
yellowish or blackish point results--the lesion of _acne punctata_; if
the inflammation is of a higher grade or progresses, the elevation is
reddened and more prominent--_acne papulosa_; if the inflammatory action
continues, the interior or central portion of the papule suppurates and
a pustule results--_acne pustulosa_; the pustule, in some cases, may
have a markedly inflammatory and hard base--_acne indurata_; and not
infrequently the lesions in disappearing may leave a pit-like atrophy or
depression_acne atrophica_; or, on the contrary, connective-tissue new
growth may follow their disappearance-_acne hypertrophica_; and, in
strumous or cachectic individuals, the lesions may be more or less
furuncular in type, often of the nature of dermic abscesses, usually of
a cold or sluggish character, and of more general distribution--_acne cachecticorum_.



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