[Acne fulminans].

Acne fulminans is a rare disorder of male teenage patients. The disease is characterized by the sudden appearance of highly inflammatory, tender, ulcerative and crusted lesions on back, chest and face. At the onset of the disease all patients show febrile temperature, leucocytosis, increased sedimentation rate and frequently polyarthralgia. The reported case showed typical lesions and distribution, fever, leucocytosis, elevated sedimentation rate, anemia, a decrease in albumin and an increase in alpha 2-globulin. Intradermal skin tests (delayed reactivity) showed marked decrease responses. Systemic treatment with antibiotics (ampicilline, tetracycline) with concomitant topical therapy was effective.