madman
Super Moderator
Various cases in professional sports have brought the matter of doping—the use of performance-enhancing drugs—to the attention of the broad public. Here, we present a case of doping in a 21-year-old amateur bodybuilder. The man presented to our clinic feeling generally unwell. He was subfebrile and had massive, deep ulcerations, abscesses, and pustules located on his chest and upper back (figure). Persistent questioning revealed a history of continuous abuse of anabolic-androgenic steroids (testosterone enanthate 250 mg plus methandienone 30 mg twice weekly), which was consistent with the diagnosis of severe acne conglobata that was anabolic-androgenic steroid-induced. Additional investigations showed a substantial impairment in sperm concentration and reduced testicular volume. Skin lesions showed rapid improvement after discontinuation of anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse and with antiseptic and antibiotic therapy. However, the extensive scarring is likely to remain with the young man for the rest of his life.