| Acne medicamentosa | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Drug induced acne |
| Specialty | Dermatology |
Acne medicamentosa isacne that is caused or aggravated by medication.[1] Because acne is generally a disorder of thepilosebaceous units caused byhormones, the medications that trigger acne medicamentosa most frequently are hormone analogs. It is also often caused bycorticosteroids; in this case, it is referred to assteroid acne.
Although the masculinizing hormonetestosterone is most often blamed, and although men with acne secondary tobodybuilding hormones are seen from time to time, the major hormonal medications that cause acne are theprogestin analogues present inhormonal contraception.[2] Other medications can produceacneiform eruptions (usually pimply bumps andpustules that look like acne).[3]
Some conditions mimic acne medicamentosa. The most common mimic isfolliculitis produced by an overgrowth of theMalassezia species, often secondary to oral or systemiccorticosteroids, or secondary to broad-spectrumantibiotics such as thetetracycline family used in acne. This is often misinterpreted as 'tetracycline-resistant acne'.