INTRODUCTION
Acne vulgaris is a common inflammatory cutaneous disorder of the pilosebaceous unit of the skin (comprising the hair follicle, hair shaft, and sebaceous gland), leading to the development of whiteheads, blackheads, papules, pustules, nodules, and cystic lesions.1 It is the most commonly diagnosed skin condition in the US,1 and is most common among adolescents and young adults in their twenties.2 The estimated age-standardized prevalence rate of acne vulgaris is 30.4 per 1,000 people, with more than 8 million physician-diagnosed cases estimated in the United States (US).3,4
Potential sequelae of acne, such as scarring, dyspigmentation, and low self-esteem, may result in significant morbidity. Acne may be classified as mild, moderate, or severe, based on the number and type of skin lesions.5 Studies have demonstrated that acne may negatively impact the patient’s quality of life psychologically, socially, and functionally; for example, by negatively influencing school and work performance.3,5
The Acne-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (Acne-QoL) was developed to measure the impact of facial acne across four domains including self-perception, role-social, role-emotional, and acne symptoms.6,7 The Acne-QoL is a responsive, internally consistent, and valid instrument to measure the impact of facial acne.8 This study initially confirmed that the Acne-QoL is appropriate and sensitive to treatment differences in clinical trials, based on results of two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of the efficacy of Estrostep (norethindrone acetate/ethinyl estradiol). More recently, the Acne-QoL was used in two phase 3 clinical trials of treatment with tazarotene 0.045% lotion among patients with moderate-to-severe acne, with results of pooled data (N=1,614) indicating
Potential sequelae of acne, such as scarring, dyspigmentation, and low self-esteem, may result in significant morbidity. Acne may be classified as mild, moderate, or severe, based on the number and type of skin lesions.5 Studies have demonstrated that acne may negatively impact the patient’s quality of life psychologically, socially, and functionally; for example, by negatively influencing school and work performance.3,5
The Acne-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (Acne-QoL) was developed to measure the impact of facial acne across four domains including self-perception, role-social, role-emotional, and acne symptoms.6,7 The Acne-QoL is a responsive, internally consistent, and valid instrument to measure the impact of facial acne.8 This study initially confirmed that the Acne-QoL is appropriate and sensitive to treatment differences in clinical trials, based on results of two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of the efficacy of Estrostep (norethindrone acetate/ethinyl estradiol). More recently, the Acne-QoL was used in two phase 3 clinical trials of treatment with tazarotene 0.045% lotion among patients with moderate-to-severe acne, with results of pooled data (N=1,614) indicating
