Acne mimickers: Another cause for unresponsive acne

Most patients respond well to anti-acne therapies yet others show no response despite an effective treatment regimen. One of the main reasons of unresponsiveness is the presence of conditions mimicking acne. Physicians must distinguish acne vulgaris from a range of skin disorders which produce follicular papules and pustules. The key distinguishing feature is the presence of comedones, which is characteristic for acne vulgaris. This review highlights the main conditions that can be misdiagnosed as acne. These include the non-acne conditions presenting with comedones or with acne in their names, those with appendageal abnormalities, or a follicular component and those occurring in the neonate.