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Oral Cephalexin for Acne Vulgaris: Clinical Experience with 93 Patients
Author(s) -
Fenner Julie A.,
Wiss Karen,
Levin Nikki A.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
pediatric dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.542
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1525-1470
pISSN - 0736-8046
DOI - 10.1111/j.1525-1470.2008.00628.x
Subject(s) - acne , medicine , demographics , retrospective cohort study , adverse effect , clearance , dermatology , cefalexin , antibiotics , surgery , cephalosporin , demography , sociology , microbiology and biotechnology , urology , biology
For patients who fail traditional acne therapy or experience side effects, other treatments are needed. Cephalexin has been noted to be efficacious in some instances. This study aimed to assess the therapeutic efficacy of cephalexin for acne. A retrospective chart review of 93 acne patients treated with cephalexin was performed. Data collection included patient demographics, other acne therapies, clinical response, and side effects. Of the 98 courses of cephalexin, 4% of patients cleared, 45% were much improved, 29% were somewhat improved, 16% experienced no change, and 6% worsened at first follow‐up visit . The median treatment length was 6 months. Eighty‐four percent of patients had previously used a systemic antibiotic(s) for acne. Seven percent experienced adverse effects. This is a small retrospective analysis without a comparison group and is limited by the number of patients and nonstandardized treatment lengths and charting procedures. Cephalexin is a promising alternative treatment for acne, with 78% of patients exhibiting at least some clinical improvement.