Acne vulgaris : Acne vulgaris (or simply acne) is a common human skin disease, characterized by areas of skin with seborrhea (scaly red skin), comedones (blackheads and whiteheads), papules (pinheads), nodules (large papules), pimples, and possibly scarring. Acne affects mostly skin with the densest population of sebaceous follicles; these areas include the face, the upper part of the chest, and the back.
Treatment - Treatment of acne should be commenced early to prevent scarring. Patients should be counselled that an improvement may not be seen for at least a couple of months. The choice of treatment depends on whether the acne is predominantly inflammatory or comedonal and its severity.
(1) Mild to moderate acne is generally treated with topical preparations such as topical retinoids ( Tretinoin and Isotretinoin),Adapalene, Benzoyl peroxide, Azelaic acid,Salicylic acid, Erythromycin and Clindamycin
(2) Severe acne is generally treated with Oral antibiotics such as oxytetracycline or tetracycline,Erythromycin,Trimethoprim, Doxycycline and minocycline
(3) Hormone treatment - Cyproterone acetate with ethinylestradiol
(4) Oral retinoid for acne -Iisotretinoin
Psoriasis : Psoriasis a complex, chronic, multifactorial, inflammatory disease that involves hyperproliferation of the keratinocytes in the epidermis, with an increase in the epidermal cell turnover rate. Environmental, genetic, and immunologic factors appear to play a role. The disease most commonly manifests on the skin of the elbows, knees, scalp, lumbosacral areas, intergluteal clefts, and glans penis. In up to 30% of patients, the joints are also affected.
Medications used in the management of psoriasis include Topical corticosteroids (eg, triamcinolone acetonide 0.025-0.1% cream, betamethasone 0.025-0.1% cream), Ophthalmic corticosteroids (eg, prednisolone acetate 1% ophthalmic, dexamethasone ophthalmic), Intramuscular corticosteroids (eg, triamcinolone). Coal tar ,Keratolytic agents (eg, anthralin), Vitamin D analogs (eg, calcitriol ointment, calcipotriene, calcipotriene and betamethasone topical ointment) and Topical retinoids (eg, tazarotene aqueous gel and cream 0.05% and 0.1%) are frequently used in the management of Psoriasis. Other choices include Antimetabolites (eg, methotrexate), Immunomodulators (eg, tacrolimus topical 0.1%, cyclosporine, alefacept, ustekinumab), TNF inhibitors (eg, infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab) and Systemic antipsoriatic agents. (eg, ustekinumab)