THE SAFETY OF ETRETINATE AS LONG-TERM THERAPY FOR PSORIASIS - RESULTSOF THE ETRETINATE FOLLOW-UP-STUDY

Background: Etretinate is an aromatic retinoid given orally to treat s evere psoriasis, a chronic disease that often requires long-term thera py. Objective: We assessed the safety of long-term therapy with etreti nate for psoriasis. Methods: This 5-year prospective study of a cohort of 956 patients with psoriasis treated with etretinate assessed the f requency of adverse events in relation to total use and in relation to the frequency of these events in control populations. Results: Our da ta do not provide evidence for an increased risk of cardiovascular dis ease, cancer, diabetes, or inflammatory bowel disease in association w ith long-term etretinate use. Although some patients reported that joi nt problems improved with the use of etretinate, a greater number asso ciated the use of etretinate with joint problems. Conclusion: With pro per patient selection and monitoring, long-term etretinate therapy (up to 4 years) does not appear to be accompanied by a substantial increa sed risk of major adverse effects.