Evaluation of Antibiotics in the Control of Pustular Acne Vulgaris

Acne and antibiotics: a look back

“…Numerous subsequent studies consistently found that long‐term treatment with tetracycline brought about significant improvement, leading to the broadening of its use 19,20 . Tetracyclines were ultimately determined to have superior clinical efficacy compared with alternative available drugs, with erythromycin placing in the runner‐up spot 21–23 . In the 1970s, newer tetracyclines such as doxycycline and minocycline were synthesized and found to be even more effective 24,25 .…”

Acne Pathogenesis: History of Concepts

“…Goltz and Kjartansson [222] showed that whatever the density of the bacterial flora prior to the treatment, tetracycline caused a marked drop in the number of both aerobic and nonaerobic Gram-positive microorganisms. Finally tetracycline became the first choice, erythromycin the second [223]. In this context, the antibiotics efficiency incited ‘the major portion of investigators' to consider that the ‘microbacillus of Unna and Sabouraud found in the comedo plugs is (…) the direct cause of the disorder' [224].…”