Question

Name the target structure in skin involved in Acne vulgaris

• A. Sebaceous glands
• B. Bartholin glands
• C. Sweat glands
• D. Hair follicles

Hint:

Think about which gland androgens stimulate to overproduce oil in acne.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Acne vulgaris starts inside the pilosebaceous unit of the skin, but one particular gland is the real driver of the disease, and that is what this question is asking about.

1. Sebaceous glands: androgens push these glands to make extra sebum. The oily build up, along with thickened keratin at the follicle opening, blocks the pore and forms a comedone. Bacteria multiply in this blocked pocket and cause the inflamed lesions of acne. This is the key structure behind the disease.
2. Bartholin glands: found near the vaginal opening in females, and completely unrelated to facial or back acne.
3. Sweat glands: eccrine and apocrine sweat glands are behind conditions such as miliaria or hidradenitis suppurativa, a different disease from acne vulgaris.
4. Hair follicles: part of the same pilosebaceous unit and do get blocked, but they are not the gland producing the excess oily secretion that starts the process, so they are not the primary target structure.

The sebaceous gland, driven by androgen hormones to overproduce sebum, is the structure that acne vulgaris is centred on.

Let's summarize:

• Acne begins with androgen driven sebaceous gland overactivity and excess sebum production.
• Blocked follicle plus bacterial overgrowth then produces the visible lesions.

So the target structure in acne vulgaris is the sebaceous gland.