Acne keloidalis nuchae and hypertension in black subjects: a case–control study

Objective The aim of this case–control study was to look for an association between hypertension and acne keloidalis nuchae (AKN) in black subjects. Results We recruited 303 consenting subjects comprising 101 patients with AKN and 202 controls, case-matched by age (± 5 years). The mean patients age was 34.9 ± 10.7 years versus 35.6 ± 11.2 years for controls. The average duration of AKN progression in cases prior to consultation was 1831 days (5 years). The most frequently observed AKN lesions were papules (73/101; 72.3%), fibrous scars (42/101; 41.6%) and folliculitis/pustules (41/101; 40.6%). In terms of quality of life, the mean score of dermatology life quality index was 8.3 ± 5.2 (extremes: 0 to 22). In multivariate analysis, having a BMI of 25 kg/m 2 or more (OR = 4.91; p < 0.001) and having systolic hypertension (OR = 1.22; p = 0.010) were associated with AKN.