Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Jul 17;6(5):365-367.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijwd.2020.07.004. eCollection 2020 Dec.

Comprehensive review of reports of menstrual irregularities associated with isotretinoin

Priya Chelliah  1 , Donald Glass  1
Affiliations
Review

Comprehensive review of reports of menstrual irregularities associated with isotretinoin

Priya Chelliah et al. Int J Womens Dermatol. .

Erratum in

  • Erratum regarding previously published articles.
    [No authors listed] [No authors listed] Int J Womens Dermatol. 2021 Sep 28;7(5Part B):867. doi: 10.1016/j.ijwd.2021.09.013. eCollection 2021 Dec. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2021. PMID: 35028405 Free PMC article.

Abstract

In 1982, oral isotretinoin was first licensed as a treatment option for severe recalcitrant cystic acne in the United States. Since its introduction into the pharmaceutical market, several instances of amenorrhea in women of child-bearing age taking isotretinoin have been reported. In each documented instance, amenorrhea spontaneously resolved once the medication was discontinued. The Patient Introductory Brochure for iPLEDGE, the risk management distribution program mandated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for isotretinoin, does not currently include menstrual irregularities as a side effect of treatment; thus, patients who experience this side effect may also experience the unnecessary stress of a possible pregnancy, or, if a minor, explaining a lack of menses to their parent/guardian. This review synthesizes the limited literature available on this subject to advocate for more widespread acknowledgment of menstrual irregularities as a side effect of isotretinoin therapy. To perform the literature review, the search was conducted on June 13, 2020 on PubMed using the following search terms: (((isotretinoin) AND (oligomenorrhea))) OR ((isotretinoin) AND (amenorrhea)) OR ((isotretinoin) AND (PCOS)) OR ((isotretinoin) AND (menstrual irregularities)) OR ((isotretinoin) AND (polycystic ovary syndrome)). All years available were included. Articles were excluded if they were not published in English or did not address the topic of menstrual irregularities in the setting of isotretinoin, with or without the presence of polycystic ovary syndrome. A total of six articles met our criteria and are described.

Keywords: Amenorrhea; Isotretinoin; OCPs; Oligomenorrhea; Women's health.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA flow diagram.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Absorica (isotretinoin). Highlights of prescribing. Humcao, P. G. P. R., Inc.; 2019.
    1. Amnesteem (isotretinoin). Package insert. Morgantown, W. M. P. I.; 2019.
    1. Christmas T. Roaccutane and menorrhagia. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1988;18(3):576–577. - PubMed
    1. Cox N.H. Amenorrhoea during treatment with isotretinoin. Br J Dermatol. 1988;118(6):857–858. - PubMed
    1. Goodman N.F., Cobin R.H., Futterweit W., Glueck J.S., Legro R.S., Carmina E. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American College of Endocrinology, and Androgen Excess and PCOS Society Disease State Clinical Review: Guide to the best practices in the evaluation and treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome–Part 1. Endocr Pract. 2015;21(11):1291–1300. - PubMed