A practical approach for the use of oral isotretinoin for infantile acne

Infantile acne is a rare occurrence. It is more common in boys and predominately occurs on the cheeks in infants between the ages of 1 and 16 months. Clinically, the lesions range from comedones to inflammatory papulopustules to cysts. Successful therapies include topical tretinoin, benzoyl peroxide and topical and oral erythromycin. For more serious cases, oral isotretinoin (Accutane) has been reported to successfully treat recalcitrant infantile cystic acne. We describe two additional patients with infantile cystic acne treated successfully with oral isotretinoin. The dose of isotretinoin used ranged from 0.2 mg/kg/day to 1.5 mg/kg/day. The treatment duration varied from 5 to 14 months. Careful monthly monitoring is recommended because of the many side effects reported with isotretinoin. Practical tips for the administration of oral isotretinoin in infants are reviewed.