Study of the Efficacy and Tolerability of 0.04% Tretinoin Microsphere Gel for Preadolescent Acne

OBJECTIVES: The goals were to assess the degree of improvement of facial acne after treatment with the 0.04% tretinoin microsphere gel (TMG) among patients 8 to 12 years of age and to assess tolerability and safety. METHODS: An open-label study was conducted with 40 patients 8 to 12 years of age (mean age: 10.7 years) with mild/moderate acne, defined on the basis of Evaluator's Global Severity Score (EGSS) values between 2 and 3. Patients were treated with the 0.04% TMG for 12 weeks and were evaluated at baseline and weeks 3, 6, and 12. Primary end points were changes in EGSS and Alternative Evaluator's Global Severity Score values; the secondary efficacy end point was the Investigator's Global Evaluation of treatment responses at week 12. RESULTS: The mean EGSS value decreased significantly from baseline to week 12 (2.6 vs 2.1; P < .001), with 75% of cases being graded as almost clear or mild. The mean Alternative Evaluator's Global Severity Score value decreased from 3.1 to 2.4 during the 12-week period (P < .001). The mean Investigator's Global Evaluation score was 3.39 at week 12, indicating moderate improvement of acne. Treatment-associated adverse events were minimal, with mild skin irritation being most commonly recorded, generally in the first 3 weeks of therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The 0.04% TMG pump was effective and safe for the treatment of acne vulgaris in this 8- to 12-year-old population, and the treatment was generally well tolerated. Additional studies in this population are recommended, to confirm these results.