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Treatment of an infantile acne with oral isotretinoin

F Sarazin1, A Dompmartin, S Nivot

  • 1Department of Dermatology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Caen, France.

European Journal of Dermatology : EJD
|February 18, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Infantile acne, specifically nodulocystic acne in a 20-month-old girl, may require oral isotretinoin when antibiotics fail. This treatment effectively cleared severe acne, demonstrating its utility in pediatric cases.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Dermatology
  • Dermatology
  • Clinical Case Study

Background:

  • Infantile acne typically presents between 6-16 months, with a male predominance.
  • Severe nodulocystic acne in infants can be challenging to treat with conventional therapies.
  • Endocrinopathy is usually absent in infantile acne cases.

Observation:

  • A 20-month-old female presented with nodulocystic acne unresponsive to oral antibiotics.
  • No clinical or biological signs of endocrinopathy were observed.
  • Treatment with oral isotretinoin was initiated due to the severity and lack of response to antibiotics.

Findings:

  • A seven-month course of oral isotretinoin achieved complete remission of nodulocystic acne.
  • The patient exhibited good clinical and biological tolerance to isotretinoin, with no growth retardation.
  • Relapse of lesions occurred after treatment cessation but was less severe and manageable with topical therapies.

Implications:

  • Oral isotretinoin is a viable and effective treatment option for severe infantile nodulocystic acne unresponsive to antibiotics.
  • Early intervention with isotretinoin can potentially reduce the risk of scarring in pediatric acne patients.
  • Pediatric dermatologists should consider isotretinoin for recalcitrant infantile acne cases, monitoring for tolerance and potential relapse.

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