[Acne inversa: a dapsone-sensitive dermatosis]

Acne inversa is a chronic disease with a major impact on the quality of life. Therapeutic options were long restricted to local disinfectants and systemic antibiotics, as well as repeated incision and drainage which produce only short term benefits. Retinoids, antiandrogens and radiation therapy are only partially successful. The best approach appears to be surgical removal of the entire apocrine sweat gland apparatus. Dapsone is used in dermatology to treat inflammatory dermatoses such as dermatitis herpetiformis and pyoderma gangrenosum, and was formerly the treatment of choice for acne conglobata. We report its successful use in acne inversa. Five female patients aged 23-40 years with acne inversa for a mean of 9.6 years were included. All patients showed an almost complete resolution of their symptoms within 2-4 weeks. All patients rated the treatment results with dapsone as good or very good. The treatment was well tolerated and no important side effects occurred. Because of its lack of teratogenicity, dapsone may be the most favorable treatment option in young women with acne inversa.