PREMATURE FUSION OF EPIPHYSES FOLLOWING I SOTRETINOIN-THERAPY

In a 16-year old patient, treated for severe; acne conglobata with ret inoid acid over 7 months growth arrest was observed. At X-ray examinat ion closed epiphyseal lines were documented. However, the cause for th e early fusion of the epiphyses was not therapy with isotretinoin but rather an early puberty, since allready prior to therapy growth rate d eclined markedly after he passed his pubertal growth spurt during his 12th year of life. Premature closure of epiphyseal lines has been obse rved in children treated for skin diseases for several years. Therefor it must be mandatory, to analyze the growth prior to and during thera py with isotretinoin, and monitoring skeletal changes and epiphyses is indicated.