Quantitative documentation of a premenstrual flare of facial acne in adult women.
OBJECTIVE
To quantitatively document the presence and extent of a late luteal (premenstrual) acne flare in adult women.


METHODS
Case series.


METHODS
Subjects were recruited from a general community dermatology practice and by advertising.


METHODS
Adult women 18 to 44 years old with normal periods who were receiving no treatment for their acne.


METHODS
Acne lesion counts were surveyed over the follicular and luteal phases of 2 full menstrual cycles.


RESULTS
Most (63%) of these women showed a 25% premenstrual increase in the number of inflammatory acne lesions.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first quantitative documentation of the presence and degree of premenstrual acne flares in adult women.
Lucky
Anne W
AW
Dermatology Research Associates, Cincinnati, Ohio 45230, USA. dermresearch@fuse.net
D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology; D010507:Periodicity; D011293:Premenstrual Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index