Acne: ABFM practice questions

4 board-style questions on acne in the PulseMD family medicine question bank — physician-reviewed, written against current guidelines with the reference cited on each question. Two free samples below; the full set with answers, explanations, and spaced review is free to start.

Sample question 1

A 21-year-old woman with severe nodulocystic acne on the face, chest, and back has failed 6 months of oral doxycycline combined with topical adapalene and benzoyl peroxide. She continues to develop painful nodules with scarring. She is sexually active and uses condoms. What must be addressed before starting isotretinoin?

1. She must obtain baseline bone density scan
2. She must enroll in iPLEDGE with two forms of contraception
3. She must have a psychiatric evaluation before starting
4. She must switch to oral contraceptive pills only

Sample question 2

A 16-year-old boy presents with moderate inflammatory acne including 15-20 papules and pustules on the face and 5-10 on the back. He has been using benzoyl peroxide wash and adapalene gel for 3 months with minimal improvement. He is adherent to his regimen. What is the most appropriate next step?

1. Add oral doxycycline 100 mg once daily
2. Switch to topical clindamycin monotherapy
3. Start isotretinoin (Accutane)
4. Increase adapalene to tazarotene 0.1% cream

Create a free PulseMD account to answer these, see the explanations, and practice five minutes a day.

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