Abstract
Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory skin condition affecting teenagers, with significant
impact on self-esteem. Even in mild form, acne has a detrimental psychological effect
on patients. Acne vulgaris affects 85% of adolescents, often starts in preadolescence,
and persists into adulthood. In conventional method, topical retinoids and other treatment
modalities are available; however, these are fraught with potential side effects and
expensive, and therefore an alternative method of treatment is required. A case series
of three teenagers with acne vulgaris treated with individualized homoeopathy is presented
here. The cases are reported according to the Homeopathic Clinical Case Reports (HOM-CASE)
guidelines and followed up with photographic documentation. Severity of disease and
its impact on quality of life (QoL) was assessed using the global acne grading system
(GAGS) and the Teenager's Quality of Life (T-QoL). The Modified Naranjo Criteria for
Homeopathy (MONARCH) inventory was used as a tool for assessing the causal relationship
between homeopathic intervention and clinical outcome. All cases of acne vulgaris
were successfully treated with individualized homeopathy within 2 months' duration
without any complication. Eruptions resolved with decrease in both the GAGS and T-QoL
scores. Individual curative response of the homeopathic medicine in each case assessed
through MONARCH, demonstrated a positive causal attribution of homeopathy. This case
series highlights successful outcomes using individualized homeopathic treatment,
showing remarkable improvement of acne vulgaris in teenagers. Hence, this case series
could serve as a basis for further research into the role of individualized homeopathic
medicine in the treatment of acne vulgaris in teenagers.
Keywords
acne vulgaris - GAGS - T-QoL - MONARCH - homeopathy - case series
