Roberts, Erin

AbstractBackground/objectivesStudies assessing the utility of spironolactone for treating acne in adolescent females are lacking. Thus, we sought to examine spironolactone's role in treating this patient population.MethodsA retrospective review was performed to determine the efficacy of spironolactone treatment in adolescent females seen at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, from 2007 to 2017.ResultsIn a cohort of 80 pediatric patients with a median age of 19 years (range, 14‐20 years), 64 patients (80%) experienced improvement of acne on treatment with spironolactone (median dose, 100 mg daily) with a favorable side effect profile. Approximately a quarter of patients (22.5%) had a complete response; more than half (58.8%) had a complete response or a partial response greater than 50%. Initial and maximal responses were observed at a median of 3 months and 5 months, respectively. Patients received treatment with spironolactone for a median duration of 7 months (range, 3‐45 months) with limited side effects.ConclusionsSpironolactone demonstrated efficacy in treating acne in adolescent females and is a safe long‐term alternative to systemic antibiotics in these patients.

AbstractBackgroundFew large studies have assessed spironolactone treatment of adult female acne.ObjectivesTo explore the role of spironolactone in the treatment of adult female acne.MethodsWe performed a retrospective case series assessing the efficacy of spironolactone treatment of a cohort of women evaluated at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, from 2007 through 2017.ResultsIn total, 395 patients (median age, 32 years) received a median spironolactone dose of 100 mg daily. Approximately two‐thirds of patients (66.1%) had a complete response; 85.1% had a complete response or a partial response greater than 50%. Median times to initial response and maximum response were 3 and 5 months. Efficacy was observed across all severity subtypes of acne, including those with papulopustular and nodulocystic acne. Patients received long‐term treatment with spironolactone (median duration, 13 months) and had few adverse effects.ConclusionsSpironolactone is a safe and effective treatment of acne for women.