Korean J Dermatol.  2015 Jan;53(1):23-29.

The Consideration of Dermoscopic Findings during Atrophic Acne Scar Treatment: a Pilot Study

• Chae WS
• Seong JY
• Jung HN
• Kong SH
• Suh HS
• Choi YS

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Dermoscopy has been suggested as a useful tool for diagnosing various skin diseases. Recently, the possibility of using dermoscopy to predict the response to treatment has emerged.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine whether dermoscopic findings corresponded to clinical acne scar types. This study also aimed to discover which dermoscopic findings predict the response to acne scar treatment.
METHODS
The dermoscopic findings of 39 participants undergoing atrophic acne scar treatment with fractional photothermolysis were evaluated. Patients were divided into two groups according to the duration of acne scar persistence.
RESULTS
Patients with a relatively short duration of acne scar persistence usually achieved better treatment outcomes. Dermoscopic findings showed no obvious differences according to clinical acne scar type. But high hair follicle density can be considered a predictive factor of treatment effects.
CONCLUSION
Our study indicated that acne scar improvements can be predicted by dermoscopically observing hair follicle density.

Keyword

Acne scar; Dermoscopy; Fractional photothermolysis

MeSH Terms

Acne Vulgaris*
Cicatrix*
Dermoscopy
Hair Follicle
Humans
Pilot Projects*
Skin Diseases