New Antibiotic Used to Fight Acne May Also Work for Perioral Dermatitis

FightAcne.com Interview with:
Emmy Graber, MD, MBA
President, The Dermatology Institute of Boston
Affiliate Clinical Instructor, Northeastern University

Dr. Emily Graber

­FightAcne.com:  What is the background for this study?

Response:     Periorificial dermatitis (POD) is an eczematous-like eruption of erythematous papules and pustules around the orifices of the face such as the mouth, nose or eyes. Typically, treatment involves discontinuation of the offending agent, if any, as well as administration of oral doxycycline. However, doxycycline is a broad-spectrum tetracycline that may result in pronounced gastrointestinal side effects, especially in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as well as potentially cause gut flora dysbiosis (disruption of the gut microbiome).

In this case report, a patient seeking treatment for POD also has underlying Crohn’s disease. Sarecycline, a narrow-spectrum tetracycline, was used with careful consideration due to the patient’s underlying IBD. The hope was that sarecycline would have a similar effect on POD as doxycycline, without the side effects associated with broad-spectrum antibiotics.

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