title: The effect of oral isotretinoin on visual contrast sensitivity and amount of lacrimation in patients with acne vulgaris.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acne vulgaris is a puberty-onset chronic inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous unit. Isotretinoin is a derivative of vitamin A commonly used for severe and nodulocystic acne. While isotretinoin has many side effects related to the eye, visual system and lacrimation, there is no information regarding isotretinoin's influence on contrast sensitivity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of isotretinoin on visual contrast sensitivity and the amount of lacrimation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 25 patients (16 females and 9 males) who underwent isotretinoin treatment. The treatment duration ranged from 4 to 7 months. Patients were examined both before the start and at the end of treatment using the Schirmer test in each eye. The contrast sensitivity measurement was performed both individually for each eye and in a binocular fashion using the Pelli-Robson Sensitivity Chart.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of the Schirmer test before treatment were 19.74 ± 3.63 mm for the right eye and 19.66 ± 3.63 mm for the left eye. Post-treatment measurement results were 17.24 ± 3.5 mm for the right eye and 16.68 ± 3.73 mm for the left eye. There was a statistically significant difference between the before and after treatment measurements (p < 0.000). Before treatment, contrast sensitivity was 1.45 ± 0.19 for the right eye and 1.42 ± 0.2 for the left eye. The binocular measurement was 1.54 ± 0.14. After treatment, the right eye was 1.47 ± 0.19, the left eye was 1.46 ± 0.18, and the binocular measurement was 1.54 ± 0.18. There were no statistically significant differences between before and after treatment (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are contradicting reports on the results of the Schirmer test. The only similar study that has evaluated contrast sensitivity used the drug acitretin, the results of which are consistent with those the present study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study is significant in that it is the first to investigate the effects of isotretinoin on visual contrast sensitivity that is closely associated with real-world performance. Our results need to be supported by future studies.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Dermatology and.
authors.forename: Mualla
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Polat
authors.affiliation: b Department of Ophthalmology , Faculty of Medicine, Abant Izzet Baysal University , Bolu , Turkey.
authors.forename: Şahap
authors.initials: Ş
authors.lastname: Kükner
mesh_terms: D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000188:drug therapy; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000187:drug effects*; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015474:Isotretinoin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003879:Dermatologic Agents; D015474:Isotretinoin
keywords: Acne vulgaris; contrast sensitivity; isotretinoin; lacrimation