The correlation of age, gender and drug dose with side effects of isotretinoin in patients with acne vulgaris

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The correlation of age, gender and drug dose with side effects of isotretinoin in patients with acne vulgaris

Journal Title: Turkderm-Turkish Archives of Dermatology and Venereology - Year 2020, Vol 54, Issue 3

Abstract

Background and Design: Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory disease of pilosebaceous unit. Oral isotretinoin is the most effective agent that has been used for many years in acne treatment. The purpose of our study was to determine the side effects of the isotretinoin and to examine the correlation between these side effects, and age, gender and drug dose. Materials and Methods: One hundred forty nine patients with moderate or severe acne vulgaris (age between: 14-34 years) using isotretinoin were included. Eight patients discontinued treatment for various reasons. Daily isotretinoin dose was started as less than 0.5 mg/kg/day. A cumulative dose of at least 120 mg/kg was targeted in all patients. The patients were assessed in terms of side effects on a monthly basis. Results: Of the 141 patients who have completed the treatment, 106 (75.2%) were female and 35 (24.8%) were male. Cheilitis was seen in 100%, xeroderma in 66%, photophobia in 44.7%, mild epistaxis in 42.6%, and xerophthalmia in 36.9% of the patients. Lumbar pain was seen in 41.1%, myalgia in 29.1%, arthralgia in 19.1%, headache in 13.5% of the patients. Serum lipid levels increased in 20.6% of the patients, while liver enzyme levels increased in 7.8% of the patients. Myalgia and lumbar pain was more common in females (p=0.045, p=0.019, respectively). Patients who received higher than 0.5 mg/kg/day dose had more xerosis, myalgia and triggering acne complaints (p=0.004, p=0.001, p=0.012, respectively). Myalgia were found to be more common in patients who were older than 20 years old (p=0.003). Conclusion: Because the use of isotretinoin is a long-lasting treatment method, patient compliance is of paramount importance. Knowing how frequent side effects will occur in different patients groups and informing the patients beforehand will increase patients’ confidence towards to physician and minimize the compliance problems.

Authors and Affiliations

Dursun Türkmen

Keywords

Pigmented fungiform papillae of the tongue: Co-existence of two patterns in the same patient and associated dental pigmentation

This report presents a case of pigmented fungiform papillae of the tongue (PFPT) in a 12-year-old girl. She had type 1 and 2 PFPT. Diffuse, patchy tongue pigmentation seen in our patient might be a racial pigmentation or...

EP ID EP689146
DOI 10.4274/turkderm.galenos.2020.58815
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