title: Seborrhoea--an indicator for poor clinical response in acne patients treated with antibiotics.
abstract: The relationship between sebum excretion rate (SER) and clinical improvement was investigated in 255 acne patients treated for 6 months with either oral erythromycin (1 g/day), minocycline (100 mg/day), oxytetracycline (1 g/day) or cotrimoxazole (400 mg/day); topical therapy was 5% benzoyl peroxide. In all but the cotrimoxazole treated group, there was a significant correlation between a high SER and reduced clinical response. This was particularly evident in those patients with an SER of greater than 2.5 micrograms/cm2/min. These patients showed only 17% improvement compared with 100% improvement in those subjects with an SER of 1.0 micrograms/cm2/min or less. The presence of obvious seborrhoea in a patient who has failed to respond to an adequate 6-month course of antimicrobial therapy, should indicate the earlier rather than later use of isotretinoin for their acne.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, General Infirmary at Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Layton
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hull
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Eady
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Cunliffe
mesh_terms: D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012628:Dermatitis, Seborrheic / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents