Nodulocystic acne: oral gugulipid versus tetracycline.

ABSTRACT

Twenty patients with nodulocystic acne were randomly allocated to one of two treatment schedules 1) Tetracycline 500 mg or 2) Tab. Gugulipid (equivalent to 25 mg guggulsterone). Both were taken twice daily for 3 months, and both produced a progressive reduction in the lesions in the majority of patients. With tetracycline, the percentage reduction in the inflammatory lesions was 65.2% as compared to 68% with gugulipid; on comparison, this difference was statistically insignificant (P > 0.05). Follow-up at 3 months showed a relapse in 4 cases on tetracyline and 2 cases on gugulipid. An interesting observation was that the patients with oily faces responded remarkably better to gugulipid.