Acne vulgaris pathophysiology

Jump to navigation Jump to search

Acne vulgaris Microchapters

Home

Patient Information

Overview

Historical Perspective

Classification

Pathophysiology

Causes

Differentiating Acne Vulgaris from other Diseases

Epidemiology and Demographics

Risk Factors

Natural History, Complications and Prognosis

Diagnosis

History and Symptoms

Physical Examination

Laboratory Findings

Electrocardiogram

X-ray

Echocardiography and Ultrasound

CT scan

MRI

Other Imaging Findings

Other Diagnostic Studies

Treatment

Medical Therapy

Surgery

Primary Prevention

Secondary Prevention

Cost-Effectiveness of Therapy

Future or Investigational Therapies

Case Studies

Case #1

Acne vulgaris pathophysiology On the Web

Most recent articles

Most cited articles

Review articles

CME Programs

Powerpoint slides

Images

American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Acne vulgaris pathophysiology

All Images
X-rays
Echo & Ultrasound
CT Images
MRI

Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov

US National Guidelines Clearinghouse

NICE Guidance

FDA on Acne vulgaris pathophysiology

CDC on Acne vulgaris pathophysiology

Acne vulgaris pathophysiology in the news

Blogs on Acne vulgaris pathophysiology

Directions to Hospitals Treating Acne vulgaris

Risk calculators and risk factors for Acne vulgaris pathophysiology

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Please help WikiDoc by adding more content here. It's easy! Click here to learn about editing.

Pathophysiology

Inside the pore are sebaceous glands which produce sticky sebum. When the outer layers of skin shed (as it does continuously), the dead skin cells left behind may become 'glued' together by the sticky sebum. This causes a blockage in the pore, especially when the skin becomes thicker at puberty.[1] The sebaceous glands produce more sebum which builds up behind the blockage, and this sebum harbors various bacteria including the species Propionibacterium acnes. Since the body's natural defense against bacteria is primarily phagocytes (white blood cells), these rush to the site behind the blockage (where the bacteria are). This is what gives some pimples the 'whiteheads' (unless the phagocytes are deeper in the skin, which means you can't see the 'white' caused by them). The white blood cells then destroy (by phagocytosis) the bacteria to prevent infection. The pain one may feel when a pimple is present is caused by the widening of skin around the white blood cells.

Video

{{#ev:youtube|S47-jUK1W2Y}}

References

  1. Anderson, Laurence. 2006. Looking Good, the Australian guide to skin care, cosmetic medicine and cosmetic surgery. AMPCo. Sydney. ISBN 0 85557 044 X.

Template:WikiDoc Sources