isotretinoin and Conjunctival-Diseases

To evaluate the bulbar conjunctiva using impression cytology in patients submitted to oral isotretinoin treatment.. A prospective, cohort study was carried out in a referral ophthalmology practice at the Federal University of Paraíba and in the External Eye Disease Laboratory of the Federal University of São Paulo. Twenty-eight patients with acne vulgaris were selected. Impression cytology specimens collected from the temporal bulbar conjunctiva and the superior bulbar conjunctiva of both eyes before and after 3 months of oral isotretinoin treatment were assessed. The doses of isotretinoin varied from 0.35 to 0.88 mg . kg . d.. The percentage of patients in whom impression cytology results were normal was significantly lower during oral isotretinoin treatment compared to the pretreatment phase, decreasing from 75% to 43% in the temporal bulbar conjunctiva and from 100% to 82% in the superior bulbar conjunctiva. In both regions, the parameters most affected were cell-to-cell contact, nucleus-to-cytoplasm ratio, and goblet cell density.. Oral isotretinoin for the treatment of acne induces alterations in the conjunctival epithelium of a significant percentage of patients treated with the drug. These alterations are seen both in the exposed conjunctiva (temporal bulbar region) and in the unexposed conjunctiva (superior bulbar region).

Topics: Acne Vulgaris; Administration, Oral; Adult; Cell Count; Conjunctiva; Conjunctival Diseases; Dermatologic Agents; Female; Goblet Cells; Humans; Isotretinoin; Male; Prospective Studies; Young Adult

Topics: Acne Vulgaris; Adult; Conjunctival Diseases; Eye Hemorrhage; Humans; Isotretinoin; Keratolytic Agents; Male