Acne as a chronic systemic disease.
Acne is the most common skin disorder. In the majority of cases, acne is a disease that changes its skin distribution and severity over time; moreover, it can be a physically (scar development) and psychologically damaging condition that lasts for years. According to its clinical characteristics, it can be defined as a chronic disease according to the World Health Organization criteria. Acne is also a cardinal component of many systemic diseases or syndromes, such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia, seborrhea-acne-hirsutism-androgenetic alopecia syndrome, polycystic ovarian syndrome, hyperandrogenism-insulin resistance-acanthosis nigricans syndrome, Apert syndrome, synovitis-acne-pustulosis-hyperostosis-osteitis syndrome, and pyogenic arthritis-pyoderma gangrenosum-acne syndrome. Recent studies on the Ache hunter gatherers of Paraguay detected the lack of acne in association with markedly lower rates of obesity, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and cardiovascular diseases, a finding that indicates either a nutritional or a genetic background of this impressive concomitance.
Departments of Dermatology, Venereology, Allergology, and Immunology, Dessau Medical Center, Auenweg 38, 06847 Dessau, Germany. Electronic address: christos.zouboulis@klinikum-dessau.de.
Christos C
CC
Zouboulis
D000052:Acanthosis Nigricans / Q000150:complications; D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000150:complications*; D020083:Acquired Hyperostosis Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D000168:Acrocephalosyndactylia / Q000150:complications; D000312:Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D000505:Alopecia / Q000175:diagnosis; D012628:Dermatitis, Seborrheic / Q000175:diagnosis; D004041:Dietary Fats; D005260:Female; D006628:Hirsutism / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D017588:Hyperandrogenism / Q000150:complications; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D013577:Syndrome
D004041:Dietary Fats