Some Observations on the Effect of l-Tri-Iodothyronine on Acne Vulgaris

Abstract

Although the cutaneous changes of myxedema and Grave's disease have been well documented, little is known of the role of the thyroid hormone in the physiology of the pilosebaceous apparatus. Our attention was focused on this problem by observations in five patients, aged 15 to 28, with Grave's disease (1). In these individuals, the first appearance of acne vulgaris or striking exacerbation of a previously mild acne occurred 1 to 4 months following induction of eumetabolism by anti-thyroid drugs. Bauer and Goodwin (2) in 1951 similarly reported the transient appearance of acne in a series of male patients with Grave's disease following therapy with carrier-free I131. In recent years, 3-5-3'-triiodothyronine (T-3),a naturally occurring thyroid hormone of greater activity and more rapid action than thyroxine, has become available. The ability of this hormone to induce acute alterations in metabolism has prompted further inquiry into the effect of thyroid hormone on acne. The results obtained with T-3 during the fall and winter months of 1957-59 in eleven intensively studied female patients with acne vulgaris form the basis of this preliminary report.