Acne: an approach to therapy for the pediatrician.

Acne is an ubiquitous problem of adolescence. Currently available medications have improved the effectiveness of therapy. Pediatricians should be able to manage most of their patients with acne without referral to dermatologists. The exact pathogenesis of this disorder is not known, but a working hypothesis encompassing the factors involved allows a more rational approach to therapy. Successful treatment not only requires familiarity with the various types of acne lesions and the medications of choice, but an ability to recruit the patient into a partnership of therapy. The more the patient understands about the disorder the better the compliance and chances for success.