Adverse Effects of Steroid Injections

Introduction to Adverse Effects

• The American Academy of Dermatology recognizes steroid acne as a potential adverse effect of intralesional corticosteroid use in acne treatment, particularly with intralesional triamcinolone acetonide injections used to treat inflammatory nodulocystic acne 1, 2
• Steroid acne is a documented adverse effect of corticosteroid administration, whether given systemically or via intralesional injection, according to the American Academy of Dermatology's 2016 guidelines 1, 2

Risk Factors and Incidence

• Intralesional injections carry a risk of steroid acne as a listed adverse effect in prescribing guidelines, as stated by the American Academy of Dermatology 1, 2
• Systemic oral steroids can cause steroid acne, with the exact incidence varying, as noted by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 3

Additional Adverse Effects to Monitor

• Beyond acne, intralesional corticosteroid injections can cause local atrophy, pigmentary changes, and telangiectasias from overdose, as well as hypertrichosis, sterile abscess formation, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis suppression with repeated injections, according to the American Academy of Dermatology 1, 2
• Common systemic steroid side effects include blurred vision, insomnia, hypertension, increased appetite, weight gain, hyperglycemia, and mood changes, as reported by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 3