Crystalline lens clarity in patients treated with isotretinoin

ABSTRACT

Clinical relevance

Isotretinoin has been the best treatment option for moderate and severe acne vulgaris since the 1980s. Some studies have shown evidence of subclinical anterior segment involvement of the eye in patients treated with isotretinoin.

Background

This study aimed to evaluate lens clarity with the densitometry software of Scheimpflug tomography in patients treated with isotretinoin and to compare with healthy control subjects.

Methods

Thirty-seven acnepatients treated with isotretinoin who met the inclusion criteria (24 males and 13 females, mean age 22.94 ± 4.21 years) and 39 healthy control subjects were included in the study. Clinical characteristics of the isotretinoin and control subjects were recorded. Lens density was evaluated with the densitometry software of the Scheimpflug tomography device (PentacamHR, Oculus, Wetzlar, Germany).

Results

There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in age, gender distribution, spherical equivalent, or anterior segment parameters measured by the Pentacam system (p > 0.05 for all). Lens density values in zones 2 and 3 were significantly higher in the isotretinoin group (p = 0.042, p < 0.001) and positively correlated with cumulative isotretinoin dose (zone 2: r = 0.384, p = 0.032; zone 3: r = 0.384, p = 0.005).

Conclusion

Zone 2 and zone 3 lens density are higher in patients treated with isotretinoin when compared to healthy controls.

KEYWORDS:

• Acne vulgaris
• isotretinoin
• lens clarity
• lens densitometry
• Scheimpflug

Acknowledgements

All authors whose names appear on the submission made substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data; or the creation of new software used in the work; drafted the work or revised it critically for important intellectual content; and approved the version to be published.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

There were no external sources of funding obtained for this study.