Influence of Social Media and Internet on Treatment Decisions in Adult Female Acne Patients: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

INTRODUCTION: Adult female acne is a chronic condition that significantly impacts quality of life. The content on social media can influence patients perception of their disease and serve as a channel through which they may seek or obtain treatment options. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the impact of social media usage habits on treatment decisions among adult female acne patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional, multicenter survey study involved 358 females aged 25 or above, diagnosed with acne. Sociodemographic data were collected, and social media behavior, treatment choices, outcomes, and motivation were explored. RESULTS: Among 358 participants, 95.3% used at least 1 social media platform; 72.1% sought acne information online. Top platforms used to seek acne information were Google (75.6%), Instagram (72.3%), YouTube (60%), and TikTok (29.4%). For advice, 67.4% consulted doctor accounts, 53.5% non-medical influencers, 53.5% patient accounts, and 36.1% product promotion accounts. Commonly followed advice included skincare products (88%), dietary changes (42.3%), home remedies (38.8%), exercise (30.3%), topical medications (25.2%), and dietary supplements (17.4%). Notably, 20.9% were willing to alter prescribed treatment by their physician for acne based on social media advice. Patient motivations included quick information access (84.1%) and difficulty in securing dermatologist appointments (54.3%). CONCLUSIONS: The study reveals widespread social media use among adult female acne patients, highlighting concerns about potentially misleading information. Dermatologists can enhance the impact of social media by providing reliable sources for patients.

Clinical and Histopathological Evaluation of Forty-one Cases of Pediatric Granuloma Annulare.

INTRODUCTION: Granuloma annulare (GA) is a non-infectious granulomatous disease that can affect children and adults. Although many studies have been conducted in adult GA patients, the literature on pediatric GA cases is limited. OBJECTIVES: Therefore, this study aimed to examine the demographic, clinical, and pathological features of pediatric GA cases. METHODS: This study was performed retrospectively in a single-center tertiary dermatology hospital. Demographic characteristics and clinical and histopathological features were recorded. RESULTS: Forty-one participants were included in this study, of which 66% were females. The mean age was 3.8 ± 2.6 years, and the mean lesion duration was 7.5 ± 10.3 months. The involvement of 78% of the patients was localized, and the remaining 22% was generalized. Asthma (30%) was the most common comorbid disease. Histopathological examination was performed on 21 patients, and the infiltrate pattern was interstitial in 71% of the cases and palisadic in 29%. Generalized distribution, trunk involvement, and concomitant disease tended to be higher in patients with an interstitial pattern than in those with a palisadic pattern. CONCLUSIONS: Atopy and asthma should be questioned in pediatric GA cases. There are differences between involvement, distribution, concomitant disease, and histopathological patterns, which may indicate differences in pathogenesis.