Monilethrix with Acitretin

A case study from 2005 reported on a 7-year-old girl with monilethrix, a rare genetic hair disorder, treated with oral acitretin. The treatment resulted in a very good clinical and cosmetic improvement while it was ongoing, but symptoms recurred after stopping the medication. Monilethrix is characterized by hair shaft anomalies, such as fusiform nodes and narrow segments, leading to hair that breaks easily and thins out. The condition is often inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern and is linked to mutations in genes coding for hair keratins. Despite the temporary success with acitretin, no known treatment was able to cure the condition permanently.