Acne Keloidalis Nuchae: A Multicenter Retrospective Study of 142 Hispanic Patients.

INTRODUCTION

Acne keloidalis nuchae (AKN) is a primary cicatricial alopecia with mixed infiltrate. It is more common in Africans or persons of African descent.

OBJECTIVES

Our objective was to describe the epidemiology and clinical and trichoscopic presentations of AKN in a large series of Hispanic patients.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study from 10 different dermatological centers in Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. Patients with a clinical diagnosis of AKN treated by 12 dermatologists experienced in trichology from 2018 to 2022 were included. The Umar classification system was used to determine severity.

RESULTS

We identified 142 patients with AKN: 98% were male (n=140) with a mean age of 32 years; 108 patients had a previous history of trauma to the nuchal area (76%, P < 0.001); and 48 were positive for a history of acne (33.8%, P = 0.021). Patients with >50 months of evolution were mainly classified in classes III and IV compared to patients with an evolution of <50 months (30%, n=9 vs. 14%, n=15; P = 0.019; respectively).

CONCLUSION

AKN should be considered in the differential diagnosis in the Hispanic population. Advanced stages of the disease are correlated with chronic evolution.