Treatment of acne with spironolactone: a retrospective review of 395 adult patients at Mayo Clinic, 2007-2017.

BACKGROUND: Few large studies have assessed spironolactone treatment of adult female acne. OBJECTIVES: To explore the role of spironolactone in the treatment of adult female acne. METHODS: We performed a retrospective case series assessing the efficacy of spironolactone treatment of a cohort of women evaluated at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, from 2007 through 2017. RESULTS: In total, 395 patients (median age, 32 years) received a median spironolactone dose of 100 mg daily. Approximately two-thirds of patients (66.1%) had a complete response; 85.1% had a complete response or a partial response greater than 50%. Median times to initial response and maximum response were 3 and 5 months. Efficacy was observed across all severity subtypes of acne, including those with papulopustular and nodulocystic acne. Patients received long-term treatment with spironolactone (median duration, 13 months) and had few adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS: Spironolactone is a safe and effective treatment of acne for women.

The diagnostic criteria of pityriasis rosea and Gianotti-Crosti syndrome - a protocol to establish diagnostic criteria of skin diseases.

We established and validated diagnostic criteria for pityriasis rosea and Gianotti-Crosti syndrome. In this paper, we compare and contrast both diagnostic criteria to formulate a protocol in establishing diagnostic criteria for other dermatological diseases. The diagnostic criteria are similar in employing clear dividing lines and conjunctions ('and/or') to assure high reliability. Both sets of criteria should be applicable for all ethnic groups. Spontaneous remission is not included, so diagnosis is not delayed while waiting for disease remission. Laboratory investigations are not enlisted, so that the criteria can be used in medical care systems in different parts of the world. The diagnostic criteria are different in that pathognomonic clinical manifestations exist for pityriasis rosea, such as the herald patch and the orientation of lesions along the lines of skin cleavages. These features, however, score low for sensitivity. These specific manifestations are not seen in Gianotti-Crosti syndrome. Such differences led to different categorisation of clinical features. Atypical variants are more common for pityriasis rosea. The diagnostic criteria for pityriasis rosea therefore do not include a list of differential diagnoses, while diagnostic criteria for Gianotti-Crosti syndrome do. Using this comparison, we constructed a protocol to establish diagnostic criteria for other skin diseases. We advocate the need to justify the establishment of diagnostic criteria, that multiple diagnostic criteria for the same disease should be avoided, that diagnostic criteria should be compatible with the disease classification if applicable, and that the scope should be well-delineated with regard to clinical variants. We outline the need for validation studies to assess the criteria-related validity, test-retest intra-clinician reliability, and inter-clinician reliability. We emphasise that the establishment of diagnostic criteria should not be a generic process. We also highlight limitations of diagnostic criteria, and emphasise that no diagnostic criteria can replace the bedside experience of clinicians.

Angilymphoid hyperplasia appearing as a pilar cyst.

A case of angiolymphoid hyperplasia presenting as a pilar cyst is presented herein. The clinical appearance of the lesion is described and its relationship to the blood vessel in which it grew is noted. Previous reports have shown neither the appearance of such a solitary lesion nor its intravascular growth. A review of the literature is also presented.

Meibomian keratoconjunctivitis.

We evaluated, dermatologically and ophthalmologically, 26 patients who had chronic blepharitis (meibomitis); we also investigated 26 age- and sex-matched controls. All of the blepharitic patients had an abnormality of sebaceous gland function ranging from seborrhea sicca to seborrheic dermatitis or acne rosacea, suggesting a generalized sebaceous gland dysfunction that included the meibomian glands. Sebaceous gland abnormalities most frequently involved the cool areas of the face or scalp. Stagnation of the meibomian glands presumably caused a defect in the tear lipid layer; this resulted in an unstable tear film that produced superficial punctate keratopathy. The break-up time was much lower in these patients than in controls. The break-up time returned to normal or super-normal levels when fresh meibomian secretions were expressed into the tear film. The superficial punctate keratopathy had the characteristics of those seen in conditions with a known unstable tear film and not of those experimentally produced by staphylococcus toxin.