Effect of Isotretinoin on Thyroid Function Test in Acne Patients

Introduction: With the rising popularity of Isotretinoin for acne vulgaris treatment, the interest in knowing the effect of oral Isotretinoin on endocrine function and the metabolic processes has increased considerably. Aim: To study the effect of Isotretinoin on serum thyroid hormone levels in acne patients and to study side effects of Isotretinoin if any. Materials and Methods: In this quasi experimental study from September 2018-August 2019, using purposive method, 30 patients (Twenty males and Ten females) between age group 15-30 years-old having grade 3 (20 patients) and 4 (10 patients) acne vulgaris (according to standard system of grading) were enrolled and were started on oral capsule Isotretinoin 0.5 mg/ kg/day for at least three months. A baseline thyroid profile which includes serum Triiodothyronine (T3), serum Thyroxine (T4) and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) was performed on all subjects before and after three months of continued treatment. p- value <0.05 was considered as significant. Results: After three months of continuous oral Isotretinoin administration, it was observed that serum T3 and T4 values were raised while serum TSH was slightly reduced as compared to baseline values but the difference was not statistically significant. It was also observed that lip cheilitis was the most common side effect manifesting in 28 out of 30 patients. Conclusion: In the study, minor alteration in thyroid profile was observed but the difference was statistically not significant. Thus, it can be concluded that Isotretinoin can be safely given upto three months without any disturbance in thyroid function tests.