Incidence of acne vulgaris in patients with infantile acne

A group of patients who attended dermatology clinics in Northern Ireland between 1960 and 1970 with a diagnosis of infantile acne was compared with a similar age-matched control group of 160 medical students. The severity of the acne was judged according to the form of treatment required--topical treatment, systemic antibiotics or isotretinoin. The statistical power of this study is limited but there appears to be a trend towards higher incidence and greater severity of acne vulgaris in teenage years in patients with a history of infantile acne compared to their peers.