Investigating the Properties of Truncal Acne: A Common But Often Overlooked Entity

Truncal acne is often overlooked, although it is as common as facial acne.

We aimed to investigate the prevalence of truncal acne in patients with mild, moderate, and severe acne and to evaluate the characteristics of truncal acne.

Patients aged ≥ 12 years who were diagnosed with acne vulgaris at our dermatology outpatient clinics between May 2023 and October 2023 were categorized into two groups based on the severity of facial acne.

Of the patients, 69.9% (n = 381) were female and 30.1% (n = 164) were male. The mean age was 21.0 ± 5.1 years. The upper back, upper and lower back, and shoulders were the most common areas of truncal acne. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), papules, and pustules were the most common truncal lesions. The most common clinical manifestations of truncal acne were comedones + papules + pustules + nodules, PIH + papules + pustules + nodules, PIH + papules + pustules, PIH + comedones + papules + pustules + nodules, and scars + PIH + papules + pustules + nodules (P = .030, P = .001, P = .001, P = .011, and P = .005, respectively). These lesions were more prevalent in patients with severe acne than in those with mild-to-moderate acne.

When evaluating acne, examining the lower and upper back, the front half of the trunk, and the shoulders is essential, while not ignoring PIH. Diagnosing and treating truncal acne significantly increases the patient's quality of life and self-confidence.