Factors predicting acne flare during oral Isotretinoin therapy for acne vulgaris
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Abstract
This study described the characteristics of acne flare in patients treated with oral isotretinoin and analyzed several associated factors. A total of 200 acne patients were treated with isotretinoin at 0,1 – 0,3 mg/kg/day and were followed for acne flare during the first 6 weeks of treatment. Of these, 150 patients completed the study. Acne flare occurred in 26 patients (17,3%), including mild flare in 9,3% (14 patients), moderate flare in 5,3% (8 patients), and severe flare in 2,7% (4 patients). The mean time to flare onset was 2,6 weeks. Higher baseline GAGS scores, truncal acne involvement, and the presence of macrocomedones were more frequently observed in the flare group, with statistically significant differences compared with the non-flare group (p < 0,05). ROC analysis demonstrated that GAGS had a low-to-moderate predictive value for acne flare, with an optimal cut-off value of 19,5 and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0,635 (95% CI: 0,501 – 0,769). Moreover, among 91 female patients, 33 patients (36,3%) exhibited clinical manifestations of hyperandrogenism. The flare rate was higher in patients with hyperandrogenism when compared with patients without hyperandrogenism (21,2% vs. 12,1%); however, the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0,245).
Article Details
Keywords
Acne, flare, isotretinoin
References
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