[Acitretin therapy in keratinization disorders].

The introduction of the oral retinoid etretinate in the past decade has proved to be a major advance in the treatment of disorders of keratinization. During the past few years a new retinoid acitretin has been investigated in clinical trials. Acitretin has a half-life time of 2 days, versus 100 days for etretinate. Acitretin has therefore a great advantage with respect to the teratogenic potential of retinoids. The period of contraception after cessation of acitretin therapy is only two months, compared with two years for etretinate. From December 1989, etretinate has been replaced by acitretin in The Netherlands. In the Department of Dermatology of the University Hospital of Nijmegen, 36 patients with various disorders of keratinization were treated with acitretin. In this communication therapeutic results of acitretin therapy are reported. Clinical efficacy and side effects of acitretin are similar to those observed with etretinate.