Alternative Terms for Dermal Breakout
The medical term for a dermal breakout is "acneiform rash" or "papulopustular eruption," which describes an eruption consisting of papules and pustules that resembles acne but lacks true comedones. 1
Clinical Terminology
The following terms are used interchangeably in medical literature to describe dermal breakouts:
Acneiform rash: The most commonly used term, particularly in oncology and dermatology guidelines, describing follicular papules and pustules that clinically resemble acne vulgaris 1
Papulopustular eruption: A more descriptive term emphasizing the morphology of the lesions (papules and pustules) 1
Papulopustular exanthema: Used particularly in European guidelines to describe the widespread nature of the eruption 1
Key Distinguishing Features
Acneiform rash differs from true acne vulgaris (acne breakout) in several critical ways:
Absence of comedones: Unlike acne vulgaris, acneiform rash does not present with blackheads or whiteheads 1
Non-seborrheic skin: The skin is not oily and may become dry (xerotic) within weeks, contrasting with the seborrheic nature of acne vulgaris 1
Follicular distribution: Lesions present as follicular papules and pustules, typically in areas with high sebaceous gland density (face, scalp, upper chest, and back) 1
Associated inflammation: Histopathological analysis reveals dense periadnexal leucohistiocytic inflammatory infiltrate with clustering of immune cells 1, 2
Clinical Context
The term used often depends on the underlying cause:
In drug-induced reactions (particularly with EGFR inhibitors, MEK inhibitors, or certain medications), "acneiform rash" is the preferred terminology 1, 2
In general dermatology describing morphology, "papulopustular eruption" may be more precise 1
The term "rash/desquamation (acne/acneiform)" appears in standardized grading systems like CTCAE 1