Potential Neurologic Side Effects of Oral Isotretinoin: A Case of Peripheral Neuropathy
Main Article Content
Keywords
Isotretinoin, Foot Drop, Peripheral Neuropathy
Abstract
Oral isotretinoin is a well-known, effective medication used in the treatment of severe cystic acne. While efficacious, the potential side effects of isotretinoin are often discussed and may cause concern for patients. Although most side effects of this medication are mild, other more concerning adverse effects have been reported. Of note, isotretinoin has the potential to affect the central nervous system (CNS), causing headaches, pseudotumor cerebri, and fetal CNS malformations. In contrast, the effects on the peripheral nervous system are not well documented. The objective of this case report is to present an instance of oral isotretinoin leading to foot drop in an adolescent patient.
References
2. Brzezinski P, Borowska K, Chiriac A, et al. Adverse effects of isotretinoin: A large, retrospective review. Dermatologic Therapy, 2017;30(4), e12483.
3. Bigby M, & Stern RS. Adverse reactions to isotretinoin. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1988;18(3), 543–552.
4. Aydogan K, Karli N. Effects of oral isotretinoin therapy on peripheral nerve functions: a preliminary study. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2007;32(1):81-84.
5. Danon MJ, Carpenter S, Weiss V, et al. Sensory neuropathy associated long-term etretinate (ET) therapy. Neurology 1986; 36 (Suppl. 1): 321.
6. Altun Y, Inan E. Mid-term oral isotretinoin therapy causes a predominantly sensory demyelinating neuropathy. Ideggyogy Sz. 2019;72(5-6):159-164.
7. Chroni E, et al. Short‐term oral isotretinoin therapy does not cause clinical or subclinical peripheral neuropathy. Jounral of Dermatological Treatment. 2006; 17(1):6-8.
8. Pritchard J, Appleton R, Howard R, et al. Guillain-Barré syndrome seen in users of isotretinoin. BMJ. 2004;328(7455), 1537.
9. Yamaji S, Kanamori H, Mishima A, et al. All-trans retinoic acid-induced multiple mononeuropathies. Am J Hematol. 1999 Apr;60(4):311. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1096-8652(199904)60:4<311::aid-ajh11>3.0.co;2-r. PMID: 10203107.
Article Sidebar
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY): lets others distribute and copy the article, to create extracts, abstracts, and other revised versions, adaptations or derivative works of or from an article (such as a translation), to include in a collective work (such as an anthology), to text or data mine the article, even for commercial purposes, as long as they credit the author(s), do not represent the author as endorsing their adaptation of the article, and do not modify the article in such a way as to damage the author's honor or reputation.
Authors retain copyright in their work and license the publisher to publish the content. The publisher is the National Society for Cutaneous Medicine, with production and publishing support provided by OJS, Open Journal Systems,see https://pkp.sfu.
Prior to January 2022, authors transferred copyright to the National Society for Cutaneous Medicine. However, all articles are freely available to anyone in the world. There are no subscription fees, page charges, or article processing charges.