Abstract
Papules and pustules do not always imply infection. Many pustular rashes on the face are due to inflammatory conditions (e.g. acne, rosacea or peri-orificial dermatitis) rather the infectious skin conditions (folliculitis, carbuncles, fungal disease, etc.).
By far the most common cause of papules and pustules on the face is acne especially in teenagers and young adults. The cardinal sign of acne are open and closed comedomes (blackheads and whiteheads) which are usually associated with oily skin. If there is redness of the face and no comedomes then rosacea is a more likely diagnoisis especially in people with type 1 or type 2 skin. Topical steroids should be avoided in all papulo-pustular rashes on the face.
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Buckley, D. (2021). Papulo-Pustular Rashes on the Face. In: Buckley, D., Pasquali, P. (eds) Textbook of Primary Care Dermatology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29101-3_18
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29101-3_18
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