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Isotretinoin and intestinal inflammation: what gastroenterologists need to know

Matthew Shale¹, Gilaad G Kaplan², Remo Panaccione², Subrata Ghosh¹

¹ Gastrointestinal Section, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
² Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinic, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Correspondence to:
Professor Subrata Ghosh, Division of Gastroenterology, Teaching, Research and Wellness Centre, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; ghosh@ucalgary.com

Revised version received 4 January 2009

Accepted 20 January 2009

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

A possible aetiological role in the development or exacerbation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been suggested for a small number of drugs, including antibiotics,¹ non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)² and, more contentiously, oral contraceptive pills.³ Intriguing and less appreciated is the potential association of IBD with the use of the vitamin A analogue isotretinoin (13-cis-retinoic acid) which is widely prescribed in the treatment of severe acne. A small number of case reports have reported the development of IBD whilst receiving isotretinoin therapy.^4–11 A review of adverse events reported to the United States Federal Drug Administration’s (FDA) Medwatch scheme over a 5 year period (1997–2002) revealed 85 cases of IBD, of which the causal association with isotretinoin was considered probable or highly probable in 73% of cases.¹² It has been questioned whether this represents a true aetiological link, with the biggest confounder being the overlap in the peak age . . . [Full text of this article]

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• (2009). Isotretinoin and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Journal Watch Dermatology 2009: 1-1 [Full Text]