Dramatic response to colchicine treatment in acne fulminans patients with cytological hemophagocytosis: A case series of 12 patients

Abstract

Acne fulminans is a severe form of acne with a sudden onset, rapid ulceration of the lesions, and some systemic symptoms, with or without systemic symptoms. These papulopustular lesions, whose pathogenesis is not fully understood, may exacerbate with systemic isotretinoin or may be a component of some autoinflammatory syndromes. It is recommended to control these sudden pustular attacks with systemic steroids or anti-inflammatory drugs. Here, in 12 patients with acne fulminans who developed exacerbation during systemic isotretinoin treatment and whose cytological examination revealed hemophagocytosis, colchicine treatment was started in addition to low-dose isotretinoin treatment, and a very good response was obtained to this treatment approach that did not contain systemic corticosteroids. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.