title: Fluorescence diagnostic imaging in patients with acne.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Orange-red fluorescence in the follicle openings, induced by ultraviolet A light, originates from porphyrins, the metabolic products of Propionibacteria acnes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship of orange-red follicular fluorescence with the severity of acne and the amount of sebum secretion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five volunteers were included. The severity of acne was rated on a 4-point scale. The casual sebum level was measured using a Sebumeter and the follicular fluorescence was determined using the camera Visiopor.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Casual sebum level and the intensity of fluorescence (percentage of the area and number of orange-red spots) were higher at the T zone than at the U zone in all patients regardless of their skin type. Sebum amount and area of fluorescence spots were significantly negative in correlation with the clinical grade of acne. There was a significant positive correlation between the orange-red fluorescence and the casual sebum level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The orange-red fluorescence showed stronger correlation with the presence of non-inflammatory acne lesions (comedones) and high sebum amount than the presence of inflammatory acne lesions (pustules) and low sebum amount. The fluorescence diagnostic imaging could be useful in the objective evaluation and monitoring of treatment efficacy in subjects with acne-prone skin and patients with acne.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical University, Plovdiv, Bulgaria. hristo_dobrev@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Hristo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dobrev
mesh_terms: D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005453:Fluorescence; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000378:metabolism; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011425:Propionibacterium acnes; D012629:Sebum; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D011166:Porphyrins