Isotretinoin Treatment for Folliculitis Decalvans: A Retrospective Case-Series Study
January 2018
in “
International Journal of Dermatology
”
TLDR Oral isotretinoin, especially at higher doses for at least 3 months, is effective for treating folliculitis decalvans.
This retrospective case series study investigated the effectiveness of oral isotretinoin monotherapy in treating folliculitis decalvans (FD) in 39 male patients with a mean age of 37.9 years. Patients were treated with isotretinoin doses ranging from 0.1 to 1.02 mg/kg/day for a median duration of 2.5 months. The study found that 82% of patients achieved remission, with those receiving ≥0.4 mg/kg/day for ≥3 months showing better outcomes and a 66% non-relapse rate. The study concluded that oral isotretinoin monotherapy, particularly at doses ≥0.4 mg/kg/day for at least 3 months, could be a promising treatment for FD and suggested further research on this treatment approach.