[Translated article] Acne Fulminans: A Narrative Review.

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Clinical Medicine
• Medical Research

Background:

• Acne fulminans is a rare, severe inflammatory acne with significant scarring potential.
• Lesion severity and scarring negatively impact patient quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize clinical and demographic features of acne fulminans patients.
• To assess the impact of lesion site and extent on quality of life.

Main Methods:

• Narrative literature review of English and Spanish articles from Medline.
• Inclusion of case reports and case series on acne fulminans.
• Analysis of 91 articles detailing 212 patient cases.

Main Results:

• The study identified 212 cases, predominantly affecting males (91.94%) with a mean age of 16.6 years.
• A history of acne vulgaris was common (97.63% personal, 54.90% family history); pharmacologic triggers, mainly isotretinoin, were identified in 44.79% of cases.
• Acne fulminans commonly affected the face and trunk, with the subtype involving systemic symptoms being predominant (59.12%); systemic corticosteroids were the primary treatment (81.03%).

Conclusions:

• Acne fulminans predominantly affects adolescent males with a prior history of acne vulgaris, manifesting on the face and trunk.
• The subtype with systemic symptoms is most common, and systemic corticosteroids are the leading treatment.
• The impact of acne fulminans on patient quality of life remains significantly under-reported in the literature.