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Foogle Business Acne acne vulgarisPropionibacterium acnes |
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| Last-Modified: 05/08/09 09:14 | |||
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| acne vulgaris | |||
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ACNE - acne occurs when sebaceous glands under the skin begin to secrete superfluous oil during puberty. The sebum oil production glands are stimulated by male hormones that are produced in the adrenal glands, of both boys and girls. The oil generally lubricates and protects the skin, but this acute secretion, gives millions of us many problems, especially as young adults. Inadvertently, cells that are close to the openings of the sebaceous glands sometimes block the openings. This causes a build up of oil underneath the skin, and as part of general decay, bacteria go to work on this organic material. Other bacteria, which live in our skin but are generally benign, devour this oil and multiply, and cause the surrounding tissues to become inflamed, as a mild infection. When the infection is right near the surface, a pustule is formed; if it is deeper, a papule or pimple is formed. Deeper still and it becomes a cyst. If the oil breaks though to the surface, the result is a whitehead. If the oil becomes oxidized, acted on by oxygen in the air, the oil changes from white to black, and the result is a blackhead. This is how the two types of comedones develop. |
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ACNE - any inflammatory disease of the sebaceous, and or oil glands of the skin. There are around 50 different types of acne. In common usage, the term acne is frequently used alone to designate acne vulgaris, or common acne, probably the most prevalent of all chronic skin disorders, especially in teenagers. Acne vulgaris results from an interplay of heredity factors, hormones, and bacteria. In susceptible individuals, it begins in the teen years, being caused by overactive sebaceous glands, which are stimulated by the upsurge in the circulating level of male sex hormones that accompanies the onset of puberty. The primary lesion of acne vulgaris is the comedo, or blackhead, which consists of a plug of sebum - the fatty substance secreted by a sebaceous gland, cell debris, and microorganisms, especially the bacterium Propionibacterium acnes, filling up a hair follicle. Comedones may be open, their upper or visible portion being darkened by oxidative changes; or they may be closed (i.e., not reaching the surface to be extruded), in which case, they may be starting points for pustules and deep inflammatory lesions. |
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Comedo: The primary sign of acne consisting of a dilated or widened hair follicle filled with keratin squamae - skin debris, bacteria, and sebum oil. A comedo may be closed or open. A closed comedo has an obstructed opening to the skin and may rupture to cause a low-grade skin inflammatory reaction in the area. The common name for a closed comedo is a whitehead. An open comedo has a wide opening to the skin and is capped with a blackened mass of skin debris. It is commonly known as a blackhead. Comedo is the Latin word for glutton. The ancients believed that the contents of a comedo were the remains of a gluttonous worm. Note that the preferred plural form of comedo is comedones. |
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The severity of acne is divided generally into four grades. In grade I, comedones may be sparse or profuse but there is little or no inflammation. In grade II, comedones are intermingled with superficial pustules and papules - small, solid, usually conical elevations. The lesions are ordinarily confined to the face and do not produce significant scarring, unless there has been continued scratching and picking. At this stage, topical - locally applied medication is reasonably effective. Complete spontaneous remission is ordinarily seen within one to two years. In grades III and IV, the acne is characterized by comedones and pustules and deeper inflamed nodules, which are thought to result from the rupture of the sebaceous duct, with extrusion of sebum and bacterial products into the skin tissue. The lesions are likely to extend from the face to the neck and upper trunk and to produce a permanent scarring of the skin. The course of acne vulgaris is variable, persistence being ordinarily directly related to the severity of the lesions, although changes of climate and emotional stress may markedly improve or exacerbate the acne lesions. Methods of treatment vary from topical medication to sunlight and ultraviolet light, antibiotics, and hormones. In a high proportion of cases, however, the tendency is toward spontaneous cure over several months. |
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A narrative verdict has been recorded at the inquest into the death of a "fit and healthy" 14-year boy who died 12 hours after taking tablets for acne. |
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