The retinoids in acne

Vitamin A is essential for growth and development, reproduction and vision in humans. Chemical modification of vitamin A has yielded compounds showing therapeutic promise in skin and neoplastic diseases. The medicinal use of retinoids (vitamin A and its derivatives) is limited by the toxicity associated with this group of compounds. One retinoid, 13-cis-retinoic acid, has proved to be quite effective in the treatment of severe recalcitrant cystic acne under conditions in which toxicity is manageable.