The effectiveness of intermittent isotretinoin treatment in mild or moderate acne.
BACKGROUND
Isotretinoin is the only drug that affects almost all factors in acne pathogenesis. Recently, its use for the treatment of chronic mild or moderate acne unresponsive to long-term antibiotic therapy, and with a tendency to cause scarring and leading to negative psychological effects, has became popular. The aim of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of intermittent isotretinoin treatment in mild or moderate acne.


METHODS
Sixty patients with mild or moderate acne localized to the face were enrolled in the study. The treatment regimen consisted of isotretinoin, 0.5-0.75 mg/kg per day, applied for 1 week every 4 weeks for a total period of 6 months, according to the degree of acne and number of inflammatory lesions.


RESULTS
Forty-one (68.3%) of the 60 patients completed the 6-month therapy. At the end of the treatment complete improvement was observed in 34 patients (82.9%) out of 41. All adverse effects were mild and discontinuation of the treatment was not necessary.


CONCLUSIONS
Intermittent isotretinoin treatment was found to be a safe and effective choice for patients with mild or moderate acne.
Kaymak
Y
Y
University of Gazi Health Center, Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. yesimkaymak@yahoo.com
Ilter
N
N
D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015474:Isotretinoin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D003879:Dermatologic Agents; D015474:Isotretinoin