Adverse effects in the female external genitalia of patients with acne vulgaris treated with isotretinoin
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v11i5.27533Keywords:
Acne Vulgaris; Isotretinoin; Side effects; Adverse reactions; Medicines.Abstract
Adverse effects on the external genitalia have been reported and are likely to be underreported in patients receiving isotretinoin. The aim of this study was to evaluate adverse effects on the female external genitalia in patients with acne vulgaris treated with isotretinoin. This is an analytical cross-sectional design, developed in a university hospital in northeastern Brazil. The study population comprised patients undergoing follow-up treatment for acne with isotretinoin. Sampling was non-probabilistic, of the convenience type, and consisted of 10 participants. Socioeconomic variables, background, isotretinoin treatment data, and adverse effects on female external genitalia were collected. Univariate and bivariate statistics were calculated. Adverse effects on the external genitalia were presented by 40.0% of the women, with a minimum of three and a maximum of five complaints per participant. The most prevalent adverse effects were dyspareunia (40.0%), vaginal dryness (40.0%) and vulvovaginal burning (40.0%), occurring concomitantly. Most patients who underwent waxing on the external genitalia had adverse effects (75.0%). The mean number of platelets was significantly lower in women with adverse effects on the external genitalia (p=0.005). Women with acne grade III had a higher prevalence of adverse effects on the female external genitalia (75.0%). The mean time of use of isotretinoin was 7.5 months, with a mean daily dose of 0.5 mg/kg/day. Adverse effects on the female external genitalia resulting from the use of isotretinoin for the treatment of acne vulgaris appear mainly in the form of mucocutaneous alterations, but not in isolation.
References
Bettoli, V., Guerra-Tapia, A., Herane, M. I., & Piquero-Martín, J. (2019). Challenges and solutions in oral isotretinoin in acne: reflections on 35 years of experience. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 12, 943.
Brito, M. D. F. D. M., Sant'Anna, I. P., Galindo, J. C. S., Rosendo, L. H. P. D. M., & Santos, J. B. D. (2010). Evaluation of clinical adverse effects and laboratory alterations in patients with acne vulgaris treated with oral isotretinoin. Anais brasileiros de dermatologia, 85, 331-337.
Brzezinski, P., Borowska, K., Chiriac, A., & Smigielski, J. (2017). Adverse effects of isotretinoin: A large, retrospective review. Dermatologic therapy, 30(4), e12483.
Costa, C. S., Bagatin, E., Martimbianco, A. L. C., da Silva, E. M., Lúcio, M. M., Magin, P., & Riera, R. (2018). Oral isotretinoin for acne. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (11).
Cunningham, L., Menzies, S., Moore, E., Shudell, E., Moloney, F. J., & Ralph, N. (2020). Mucocutaneous adverse effects of the genital and perianal skin from isotretinoin therapy. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 83(4), 1174-1175.
Cunliffe, W. J. (2002). Mucocutaneous side-effects of isotretinoin and their management. Clinical Dermatology, 25(4), 39-45.
Donnarumma, M., Fabbrocini, G., Lauro, W., Annunziata, M. C., Ferrillo, M., & Marasca, C. (2021). Mucocutaneous involvement of the genital and perianal skin during isotretinoin therapy. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 84(3), e167.
Evaristo, L. S. B. F., & Bagatin, E. (2019). Use of oral isotretinoin to treat acne in the public system: a hospital-based retrospective cohort. Sao Paulo Medical Journal, 137, 363-368.
Healy, D., Le Noury, J., & Mangin, D. (2018). Enduring sexual dysfunction after treatment with antidepressants, 5 α-reductase inhibitors and isotretinoin: 300 cases. International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine, 29(3-4), 125-134.
Karadağ, A. S., Çalka, Ö., & Akdeniz, N. (2011). Evaluation of side effects of isotretinoin in 150 patients with acne vulgaris. TURKDERM-Turkish Archives of Dermatology and Venereology, 45(1), 37-42.
Khalil, N. Y., Darwish, I. A., & Al-Qahtani, A. A. (2020). Isotretinoin. In Profiles of Drug Substances, Excipients and Related Methodology (Vol. 45, pp. 119-157). Academic Press.
Landis, M. N. (2020). Optimizing isotretinoin treatment of acne: update on current recommendations for monitoring, dosing, safety, adverse effects, compliance, and outcomes. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 21(3), 411-419.
Meeuwis, K. A. P., Van de Kerkhof, P. C. M., Massuger, L. F. A. G., De Hullu, J. A., & Van Rossum, M. M. (2012). Patients’ experience of psoriasis in the genital area. Dermatology, 224(3), 271-276.
Saljoughi, N., JEBREEILI, R., Tehrani, S., YARJANLI, M., Tehrani, S., & GHAEDI, F. (2017). The effects of oral isotretinoin on sex hormones and menstrual cycle in women with severe acne.
Rademaker, M. (2010). Adverse effects of isotretinoin: A retrospective review of 1743 patients started on isotretinoin. Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 51(4), 248-253.
Topal, I. O. (2013). Dyspareunia and vaginal bleeding associated with isotretinoin: a rare complication. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 10(10), 2604.
Vallerand, I. A., Lewinson, R. T., Farris, M. S., Sibley, C. D., Ramien, M. L., Bulloch, A. G. M., & Patten, S. B. (2018). Efficacy and adverse events of oral isotretinoin for acne: a systematic review. British Journal of Dermatology, 178(1), 76-85.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Cinthia Christina Modesto Batista; Lauro Rodolpho Soares Lopes; Laiane Patrícia Soares Lopes; Ione Maria Ribeiro Soares Lopes
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
1) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
2) Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
3) Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
