Isotretinoin and ulcerative colitis: A case report and review of the literature

Abstract

This case report describes a case of ulcerative colitis the onset of which occurred after the use of isotretinoin for acne treatment. Our patient, a healthy male young adult, after several months of isotretinoin use, developed gastrointestinal disorders and after thorough medical workup was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. The literature regarding a possible correlation between isotretinoin use and ulcerative colitis is scarce. Nevertheless, recent epidemiological studies have shed more light on this possible association.

Keywords: Ulcerative colitis, Isotretinoin, Acne, Inflammatory bowel disease, Heroin addiction

Core tip: Case reports suggest that isotretinoin administration may trigger inflammatory bowel diseases. This hypothesis has raised great scientific interest and numerous propositions addressing the pathophysiology of this potent association have been made. However, demographic data do not support a correlation between isotretinoin and inflammatory bowel disease. The current case describes a patient who developed ulcerative colitis while on isotretinoin administration. We hope that this case report may contribute to future epidemiological studies with scope to clarify the association between isotretinoin and inflammatory bowel diseases and more specifically ulcerative colitis.