Date of Award

Spring 2019

Document Type

Thesis

Mentor

Nancy Winker

Abstract

Acne is a prevalent skin disorder and is displayed through various different incidences. Cystic acne, a severe form of acne that is difficult to treat, reaches deep into the skin underneath the epidermis layer and produces painful, inflamed cysts that contain sebum, dead skin cells, and Propionobacterium acnes, the acne causing bacteria. Because this is an uncomfortable type of acne and is tough to treat, researchers have developed and tested a number of treatments to determine the best course of treatment for reducing and potentially eradicating cystic acne. These treatments are most commonly in the form of systemic or topical treatments, but other types of treatments are still considered as a possible course of action. According to this research, the most effective treatment that is currently available is isotretinoin, commonly known by the brand name Accutane. A short survey of medical professionals was conducted in order to determine what they most frequently prescribe when treating cystic acne and what the benefits and consequences of those treatments are. Their answers were compared to current research and determined that systemic Accutane is the most successful course of treatment for most patients with cystic acne due to the medications ability to reduce and potentially eradicate all cystic acne lesions.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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