The effect of ketoconazole on sebum secretion in patients suffering from acne and seborrhoea

Ketoconazole, an imidazolic antimycotic derivative, has proved to have an antiandrogenous effect, which may be observed to inhibit the adrenal and gonadal steroid synthesis. The authors wished to verify this effect of the drug in men and women suffering from acne and seborrhoea, conditions believed to indicate a heightened androgenous effect in the sebaceous gland. They aimed to do this by studying the cutaneous sebum, which is considered a reliable indirect indicator of androgenous activity. They found a statistically significant decrease in the rate of sebum production in all patients administered with a single daily oral dose of ketoconazole (200 mg). Moreover no untoward side-effects were reported. The anti-androgenous property of ketoconazole would therefore suggest that the drug could be proposed as a useful alternative in the treatment of acne and seborrhoea.