A cross sectional study to assess clinical profile of acne vulgaris presenting to a tertiary care teaching hospital

Background: Acne is one of the most commonly prevalent skin conditions. It commonly affects the adolescents and young adult age groups. The lesions start as microcomedones and progress to nodular or inflammatory acne with post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Although acne is not life threatening it has multiple impacts in the affected individual's quality of life and psychological morale. Hence this study was undertaken to analyze the clinical profile of patients having acne vulgaris to facilitate better management. Materials and methods: A cross sectional observational study was conducted among patients attending the dermatological outpatient department in a tertiary care hospital. A pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was administered to the individuals after obtaining informed written consent. Data on demographical variables, menstrual history and clinical features of acne were collected and presented. Results: A major proportion of the population was comprised of adolescents and young adults similar to previous studies. Around 13% of them had a positive family history of acne. Associated factors such as menstrual flare, increased consumption of dairy products and high glycemic index foods were also present. Almost 88% of the participants had mild acne. Half of them had post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Conclusions: Most patients of acne vulgaris are either adolescents or young adults. This group is more prone to endocrine co-morbidities such as polycystic ovarian syndrome and impairment in quality of life. Hence considering the above factors, early diagnosis and management of acne vulgaris is essential. This is expected to yield better results in the long term in improving the quality of life in the affected persons.