[Therapy of severe acne and acne rosacea with oral 13-cis-retinoic acid (Isotretinoin)].

Forty patients suffering of different forms of acne (papulo-pustular, nodulo-cystic, conglobata, rosacea), all in severe conditions and non-responding to other treatments, have been administered 13-cis-retinoic acid p.o. The treatment resulted in a complete and ultimate healing in 31 pts (77.5%) and a marked amelioration in the remaining 9 cases. The initial drug dosage was 40 mg/die (an average of 0.66 mg/kg/die) but it was reduced along the treatment to 2.5 mg/die, a still effective dose. The average treatment duration was 24 weeks (range: 12 to 40). The tolerance was generally excellent, but some adverse effect have been recorded, mainly localized in the skin and mucosa. Increases of total serum cholesterol (66% of the cases) and of triglyceride (72%) level have been observed. This effect was reversible at the end of the treatment. As a conclusion we can confirm that the 13-cis-retinoic acid is the most effective drug for the pharmacotherapy of severe acne.