Clinical and laboratory characteristics of acne tarda in women of Perm Krai

Objective. To evaluate clinical and laboratory changes in patients with acne tarda. Acne is a common chronic inflammatory disease that develops on the seborrheic areas of the skin in the form of comedones, follicular papules and pustules, as well as nodes. Acne is mainly formed at puberty, but can also be observed at an older age, later acne (acne tarda), as a rule, occurs in women. At the age of 25, 45 % of women suffer from acne, at the age of 31–40 acne, is observed in 26 % of women, premenstrual acne periodically occurs in 78 % of women of different ages.

Materials and methods. The study involved 62 women aged 30–45 years, who formed two groups: group I included 30 patients with acne tarda, group II consisted of 32 women without acne acne tarda. The study included the investigation of complaints and anamnesis of disease and life, assessment of general and dermatological status, general blood and urine tests, biochemical blood analysis with indicators of lipid spectrum, carbohydrate metabolism, liver enzymes, pituitary hormones (LH, FSH, prolactin, TSH) and sex hormones. The methods of parametric and nonparametric statistics were used to analyze the data obtained, standard error (m) was used in the calculations, the level of statistical significance was noted at p < 0.05.

Results. Most of the patients with acne tarda had a history of pubertal acne and acne in relatives. Among them changes in lipid metabolism were detected significantly more often, primarily an increase in the level of leptin (46.7 ± 9.1 %) (p <0.05), as well as hyperlipidemia and elevated atherogenicity index. Ovarian pathology was also significantly more often observed in patients with acne tarda, mainly in the form of functional cysts (53.3 ± 9.1 %) (p < 0.05), and an increase in progesterone levels (80.0 ± 7.3 %) (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in other sex hormones and pituitary hormones, indicators of carbohydrate metabolism and the function of hepatobiliary system in patients with acne tarda and without it.

Conclusions. Acne tarda develops mainly in women with a pubertal acne in anamnesis and a burdened heredity of acne. The disease is accompanied by a change in lipid metabolism, especially an increase in the blood leptin level, and proceeds against the background of hormonal homeostasis disorders in the form of hyperprogesteronemia with the formation of functional ovarian cysts.