This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Differential diagnosis

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Possible items in the differential for this condition include:

  • drug eruptions eg in response to anti-tuberculous or anti-epileptic therapy
  • rosacea - but usually affect an older age group and there is an absence of comedones, nodules or scarring (1)
  • pyogenic folliculitis - swabs usually yield Staphylococcus aureus in this condition
  • perioral dermatitis- it can present with acneiform or eczematous features. The perioral distribution is the best clue to its differentiation (1)
  • Demodex folliculitis and pityrosporum folliculitis - are caused by mites and yeast-like organisms respectively. Should be suspected when the acne doesn't respond to appropriate therapy (1).
  • in infantile form: the possibility of an androgen secreting tumour must be excluded.

Reference:

1. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Acne vulgaris. Dec 2023 [internet publication].

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.