Evaluation of retinal nerve fiber layer, ganglion cell complex, and choroidal thickness in patients receiving systemic isotretinoin therapy

Purpose: To investigate the influence of systemic isotretinoin treatment on retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cell complex (GCC), and choroidal thickness by using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods: Fifty patients who were treated with oral isotretinoin due to acne vulgaris in Gaziantep University Medical School Dermatology Department between May 2015 and April 2016 were included in the study. Peripapillary average, temporal, nasal, inferior, and superior quadrant RNFL, GCC and choroidal thickness of all patients were measured by OCT before and after the treatment. Paired t-test was used to compare pre- and post-treatment measurements. Results: Forty out of 50 patients were female and 10 were male. The mean age of the patients was 21.2±2.6 (range: 18-26) year. The mean duration of the treatment was 6.2±0.5 (range: 6-8) months. Pre- and post-treatment peripapillary average, temporal, nasal, inferior, and superior quadrant RNFL, GCC and choroidal thickness were statistically similar (all p >0.05). Conclusions: The current study showed that 6-months oral isotretinoin treatment with 0,5 mg/kg/day doses had no effect on RNFL, GCC and choroidal thickness. New studies are needed for the different treatment protocols that could include higher dosage and longer times.