A New Classification System Developed to Improve Treatment for Acne Keloidalis Nuchae

LOS ANGELES, June 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Journal of Clinical Aesthetic Dermatology published a pioneering clinical research study by Sanusi Umar MD from Dr. U Hair and Skin Clinic, Delphine Lee MD, Ph.D., and Jenna J. Lullo MD. Their paper is entitled A Retrospective Cohort Study and Clinical Classification System of Acne Keloidalis Nuchae.

AKN classification system

The Journal of Clinical Aesthetic Dermatology recently published a report that unveils progress in the treatment of AKN.

Acne Keliodalis Nuchae or AKN begins as tiny bumps on the back of the head, typically following a close haircut. However, due to a patient's genetic predisposition, these lesions become unremitting and expand.

Currently, many AKN patients run the risk of experiencing therapeutic failures or poor esthetic outcomes. According to Dr. Umar, this can happen when arbitrary judgment matches patients with poorly suited treatment techniques. Due to the variation in AKN, Dr. Umar and his colleagues at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center proposed a standardized objective classification system to aid in reliably predicting the quality of treatment outcomes by pairing patients with the most appropriate and optimal therapeutic methods.

Dr. Umar and his colleagues designed a controlled observational study involving 108 AKN patients to create this system.

The study developed a three-tiered AKN classification system based on the following lesion characteristics that can influence therapeutic options and outcomes: Scalp distribution, primary morphology, and association with either Folliculitis Decalvans or Dissecting Cellulitis.

What's more, the study provided new disease insights, including a significant incidence of AKN in Hispanic men (37%) contrary to the conventional belief that it is primarily a disease of people of African descent. It also established that although AKN exhibits some keloid-like behaviors, it is not a true keloid. Furthermore, men of African descent tended to develop keloid-like masses compared to other racial groups. Finally, it was found that AKN is strongly associated with folliculitis decalvans.

This formative publication entails significant milestones in understanding the disease and opens new insights on more effective therapeutic approaches.

Media Contact: Tiffany Bryant, [email protected]

SOURCE Dr. U Hair and Skin Clinic