International Journal of Research in Dermatology | October-December 2019 | Vol 5 | Issue 4 Page 774 International Journal of Research in Dermatology Sivaramakrishnan S et al. Int J Res Dermatol. 2019 Nov;5(4):774-778 http://www.ijord.com Original Research Article A study on the dermatology life quality index in patients with acne vulgaris Sangaiah Sivaramakrishnan, Thomas Jayakar* INTRODUCTION Acne vulgaris is a common disease that predominantly affects the adolescent age group (80%) but may persist into adulthood, with a fewer fraction experiencing acne for the first time beyond 21 years of age. 1 Acne vulgaris, is thought to be multifactorial in its pathogenesis. 2 Sebum overproduction occurs under the influence of hormones (mainly androgens). This in conjunction with abnormal hair follicular desquamation causes plugging of the follicles which results in increased growth of Propionibacterium acnes. This culminates in increased inflammation in the pilosebaceous units. Lithium, hormones, iodides cortisone, some seizure medications, or isoniazid can also induce acne lesions. 3 Major complications of acne are scarring and psychosocial distress which persists long after the active lesions have disappeared. 4 Its onset in adolescence may add to the emotional and psychological challenges experienced during this period, and it can lead to developmental issues of body image, socialization, and ABSTRACT Background: Acne vulgaris is a common, chronic disorder, involving inflammation of the pilosebaceous units that can be varied in presentation and difficult to treat. Most adolescents experience some acne; however, it may linger into adulthood. This study was done to evaluate the dermatology life quality index in patients with acne vulgaris. Methods: A cross sectional study was done with pretested Dermatology life quality index (DLQI) questionnaire on 100 acne patients 15 years and above, in a tertiary care hospital. Interpretation of score and impact on quality of life (QoL) was done and graded as no effect, small effect, moderate effect, and very large effect. Results: In our study, females outnumbered males (M: F ratio=1: 1.22). The age group most affected was within 15 and 20 years of age. The mean DLQI score was 5.59±4.07. Most of them had a ‘small impact’ on the QoL. QoL was worse in females. The most common grade of acne overall was grade 2 acne. Grade 3 acne was more common in men. Most of the patients (84%) experienced some degree of embarrassment or increased self-consciousness due to their acne. Conclusions: Our study showed significant impairment of QoL in acne patients. Treatment of acne should not be guided only by the clinical grade of acne, but take into consideration the psychosocial impact the condition has on the patient. Adequate counselling along with early treatment of acne vulgaris is essential in order to reduce the disease- related psychosocial sequelae and increase treatment efficacy. Keywords: Acne vulgaris, Dermatology life quality index, Quality of life Department of Dermatology, Sree Balaji Medical College Hospital, Chromepet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India Received: 17 May 2019 Revised: 24 July 2019 Accepted: 26 July 2019 *Correspondence: Dr. Thomas Jayakar, E-mail: jayakarthomas@gmail.com Copyright: © the author(s), publisher and licensee Medip Academy. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18203/issn.2455-4529.IntJResDermatol20194667