Intralesional sclerotherapy for the treatment of acne cysts: A case series

Abstract

Acne cysts are a common dermatological problem that often leads to scarring and a significant negative impact on patients' psyche. The aim of the study was to evaluate the usefulness of intralesional foam sclerotherapy for the treatment of cystic acne. Patients with cystic acne treated with intralesional foam sclerotherapy between June 2018 and May 2019 were identified. Treatment response and adverse effects were assessed during follow-up. Twelve patients (10 men and 2 women) with cystic acne with a median age of 21 years were treated during the study period. Of these 12 patients, eight (66.7%) showed complete resolution within 48 hours and two (16.7%) experienced complete resolution within 1 week. Two patients failed treatment at the end of the 4-week follow-up. Of the two patients with more than one acne cyst, response was noted only at the treated site. All patients who showed improvement sustained the effects at the 12-week follow-up. No adverse effects were observed and the treated sites healed with good cosmesis and minimal scarring. To conclude, single-session percutaneous polidocanol sclerotherapy is useful for the treatment of acne cysts. Future controlled studies are required to compare the efficacy of intralesional sclerotherapy with intralesional corticosteroids.