Photographic assessment of tretinoin microsphere gel in moderate acne.
BACKGROUND
True objective measures for assessing responsiveness to acne treatments are lacking. Photographic documentation can therefore be a valuable adjunct to treatment assessment.


OBJECTIVE
To photographically document the ability of tretinoin microsphere gel (TMG) 0.1% in improving facial acne.


METHODS
A standardized photographic technique was used to assess the efficacy and tolerability of TMG 0.1% applied once nightly for 12 weeks in an open-label trial involving 30 patients (Caucasian and Hispanic) ages 11 to 40 years with moderately severe facial acne.


RESULTS
An assessment of frontal, left-sided, and right-sided color photographs at week 12 indicated that TMG 0.1% reduced total, noninflammatory, and inflammatory acne lesion counts by 47.8%, 53.5%, and 33.2%, respectively; and produced an "excellent/ good" investigator's global evaluation (4-point scale) treatment response in 63.6% of patients. Tretinoin microsphere gel 0.1% was well tolerated, and more than 63% of subjects did not exhibit cutaneous adverse effects at week 12.


CONCLUSIONS
The standardized photographic technique proved to be a useful tool for documenting the efficacy of TMG 0.1% in consistently and significantly improving moderately severe facial acne over a 12-week treatment period.
Feldman
Steven
S
Department of Dermatology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
Nighland
Marge
M
D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005782:Gels; D006801:Humans; D007641:Keratolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008863:Microspheres; D010781:Photography; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D005782:Gels; D007641:Keratolytic Agents; D014212:Tretinoin