Acne: Medical History

Medical history (history of illness) represents an important component in the diagnosis of acne vulgaris (acne).

Family history

  • Are there any diseases in your family that are common?

Social history

  • What is your profession?
  • Are you exposed to harmful working substances in your profession?

Current medical history/systemic medical history (somatic and psychological complaints).

  • When did the skin changes occur?
  • Are the changes developing quickly or slowly?
  • Where are the skin changes localized? Only on the face, or also on other parts of the body?
  • Have you manipulated the skin lesions?
  • Are you aware of a trigger? (Occurrence after using cosmetics, vacation, contact with oil, pitch or similar).

Vegetative anamnesis incl. nutritional anamnesis.

Self anamnesis incl. medication anamnesis

  • Previous diseases (skin diseases, endocrine (affecting the hormones) diseases).
  • Allergies
  • Environmental history (contact with halogens – these are fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine, as well as the element astatine, which is extremely rare and largely unexplored due to its radioactivity).

Medication history

  • Antibiotics
    • Aminoglycosides (streptomycin)
    • Tetracycline
  • Antiepileptic drugs (quinine, quinidine, phenobarbital, phenytoin).
  • Antipsychotics (neuroleptics).
    • Conventional (Classical) antipsychotics (neuroleptics) – Phenothiazines.
    • Lithium, hydantoin, trimethadone, amineptines.
  • Beta-blockers (propranolol).
  • Bromide
  • DHEA [for women: only in case of overdose!]
  • Disulfiram
  • D-Penicillamine
  • EGF receptor antagonists.
  • Hormones
    • Anabolic steroids (testosterone ester, metandienone, methandrostenolone, metenolone acetate, mesterolone, stanozolol).
    • Androgens
    • ACTH
    • Glucocorticoids (cortisone, hydrocortisone) [steroid acne].
    • Oral contraceptives (depending on the progestin content: higher risk with norethisterone, dydrogesterone, less with desogestrel or levonorgestrel; also more common with contraceptives with low estrogen content) [no acne risk with chlormadinone acetate and cyproterone acetate]
    • Testosterone
    • Testosterone derivatives (danazol)
    • Thyroxine
  • Immunosuppressants (azathioprine, ciclosporin (cyclosporin A))
  • Iodide
  • Leprosy drug (clofazimine)
  • Lithium
  • 8-methoxypsoralen+ UVA
  • Muscle relaxants (dantrolene)
  • Anesthetics (halothane)
  • Retinoids (acitretin, etretinate, isotretinoin).
  • Sedatives (chloral hydrate, diazepam).
  • Thiourea
  • Tuberculostatics (isoniazid, ethambutol, ethionamide, protionamide, rifampicin).
  • Thyrostatic drugs (thiouracil)
  • Cytostatic drugs (actinomycin-D)