The following symptoms and complaints may indicate acne vulgaris (acne):
Leading symptoms
Frequent occurrence of the various efflorescences (abnormal skin changes).
- Primary, non-inflammatory efflorescences (so-called blackheads) – microcomedones, closed comedones (whitish small skin entities), open comedones (skin entities with a dark sebaceous plug).
- Secondary, inflammatory efflorescences – papules (nodular thickening of the skin), pustules (pustules), nodi (nodules), abscesses (encapsulated accumulation of pus).
- Tertiary, no longer inflammatory efflorescences – crater-shaped scars, cysts (lump filled with fluid in the body tissues), fistula comedones (connecting ducts between individual comedones).
Note: lead efflorescence is the pustule.
Predilection site (body regions where the changes occur most frequently).
- Face
More rarely, the following areas of the body are affected
- Neck
- Neckline
- Back
- Upper arms
Stage depending on the typical lesions for acne
- Comedones → A. comedonica (acne with open and closed comedones; usually confined to the face; there are mild to severe courses).
- Papules (nodular thickening of the skin)/pustules(pustules) /nodi (nodules) → A. papulopustulosa (there are increased papules and pustules on the face, more rarely on the neck, back or arms)/A. papulopustulosa nodosa
- Nodi → A. conglobata (acne with severe nodular skin changes; most severe form of acne; there are all efflorescences, in part also fistula comedones, especially on the back and neck).
- Scars
