2022 Volume 132 Issue 6 Pages 1463-1470
To examine actual medical treatment data on acne conglobata in Japan, we surveyed the number of patients, backgrounds, type of medical institutions, clinical departments, and prescribed medications using health insurance claims data. Of the 8,521,265 patients analyzed, 2,726 were diagnosed with acne conglobata; therefore, the number of patients with this type of acne in Japan was estimated to be 29,171, and the prevalence was estimated to be 32.0 per 100,000 in the population. Oral antibiotics were prescribed to 72.3% of the patients; 10.3% of them were prescribed them for 91 days or more per year. Additionally, 70.4% of patients were prescribed topical antibacterials; 6.3% were prescribed more than 101 g per year. Notably, 19.5% of patients visited a surgical department. Our study suggests that patients with acne conglobata are difficult to treat; they receive long-term antibacterial drugs and undergo surgical procedures.
