Oral retinoids, isotretinoin (Accutane) and etretinate, uniquely effective in the treatment for severe cystic and keratinization disorders, are potent human teratogens.
Synonyms and Related Disorders
Isotretinoin embryopathy
Genetics/Basic Defects
- 1.
Synthetic retinoids (isotretinoin, etretinate, acitretin)
- a.
Closely resemble naturally occurring vitamin A, which is essential for the maintenance of visual and reproductive function and for proliferation and differentiation of epithelial tissues
- b.
Isotretinoin and etretinate
- i.
Released in the United States and Europe in 1982
- ii.
Isotretinoin: uniquely effective in severe cystic acne
- iii.
Etretinate (and acitretin): uniquely effective in severe psoriasis and other keratinization disorders which proved recalcitrant to all other therapies, account for their availability on prescription despite their teratogenicity
- i.
- c.
Acitretin released later to replace etretinate as it is more rapidly eliminated from the body
...
- a.
References
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(2012). Retinoid Embryopathy. In: Chen, H. (eds) Atlas of Genetic Diagnosis and Counseling. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1037-9_201
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