Otocerebral anomalies associated with topical tretinoin use

Topical preparations of tretinoin are used for the treatment of various ski n conditions and for rejuvenation of the skin. Published information on pre gnancy outcome following maternal exposure to topical tretinoin is limited to three case reports. We report a case of a patient with anomalies involvi ng the ear and central nervous system with exposure to topical tretinoin du ring the first trimester. Though the potential link between the use of topi cal tretinoin and the existence of fetal malformations remains to be furthe r documented by animal as well as epidemiological studies, we strongly reco mmend that the use of topical tretinoin during pregnancy should he discoura ged and effective contraception should be used in patients of childbearing age. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.