alitretinoin and Erythema

Acitretin is the main retinoid used to treat severe inherited ichthyosis. Alternatives may be considered if it results ineffective or there are side-effects, or for women of childbearing age. Our objective is evaluation of the effects and tolerance of alitretinoin. An observational retrospective multicentric study was designed to analyse patients with inherited ichthyosis treated by alitretinoin.. A total of 13 patients were included, 11 of whom were receiving acitretin at inclusion. The main reason for switching to alitretinoin was a desire for pregnancy, but also because of side-effects or unsatisfactory efficacy. Starting dose was 10 mg/day, increased to 20 or 30 mg/day. Alitretinoin seemed to be more effective than acitretin at reducing erythema, but was less effective at reducing scaling or hyperkeratosis. Global efficacy was considered low for two patients, moderate for nine, and high for two. Treatment was well-tolerated, except for one patient who presented with benign intracranial hypertension leading to discontinuation of treatment.. Alitretinoin may be suitable for hereditary ichthyosis with prominent erythema, especially for women of childbearing age.

Topics: Adult; Alitretinoin; Child; Dermatologic Agents; Erythema; Female; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Humans; Ichthyosis; Male; Retrospective Studies; Young Adult

Alitretinoin is a new drug for systemic treatment of chronic hand eczema. Previous functional tests of skin topically treated with retinoids have indicated impaired skin barrier function, but no data are available on barrier parameters after systemic alitretinoin treatment. To investigate the effect of systemic alitretinoin on skin barrier function and response to irritants, a secondary objective was to determine if changes occur in the lipid profile of stratum corneum after treatment with systemic alitretinoin. We conducted an open clinical intervention study on eight people ascribed to systemic alitretinoin treatment. The criteria for being ascribed to alitretinoin were chronic hand eczema and insufficient therapeutic response to potent topical corticosteroids. Before initiation and after 2 months of systemic treatment with 30 mg alitretinoin, a challenge with sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) was performed on the volar forearm and evaluated by trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), erythema, and a cyanoacrylate skin sample was obtained for lipid analysis. We found no significant changes in response to SLS irritation as evaluated by TEWL and erythema, after treatment with alitretinoin for 2 months. No significant changes in stratum corneum lipids were found after 2 months of treatment. In conclusion, systemic alitretinoin does not influence skin susceptibility to irritants or the ceramide profile of stratum corneum.

Topics: Alitretinoin; Ceramides; Chronic Disease; Disease Progression; Eczema; Epidermis; Erythema; Humans; Irritants; Retinoids; Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate; Tretinoin; Water Loss, Insensible