Abstract
BackgroundMusculoskeletal side effects related to isotretinoin are frequently reported. This study aimed to investigate the effect of oral isotretinoin treatment on muscle strength. Our second aim was to evaluate whether there was a correlation between the serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) level, a specific marker of muscle breakdown, and muscle strength.MethodsThis study included 30 patients who presented to our hospital and were started on oral isotretinoin treatment for acne vulgaris and 30 patients in the control group who were given local treatment. Age, sex, height and weight of the patients were recorded, and the body mass index (BMI) was calculated. The hamstring and quadriceps muscle strengths of the non-dominant side were evaluated in all patients using an isokinetic dynamometer, and the peak torque (PT) values were recorded. In the isotretinoin group, isokinetic measurements were performed again in those that completed six-month drug treatment and compared with the initial PT values.ResultsThe two groups were similar in terms of age, sex, and BMI (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference between the isotretinoin and control groups in terms of muscle strength at the beginning of the treatment (p > 0.05). No significant change was observed in hamstring and quadriceps PT values in the isotretinoin group after 6 months of treatment compared to baseline (p > 0.05). No statistically significant correlation was found between the serum CPK level and hamstring and quadriceps muscle strength (p > 0.05).ConclusionOral isotretinoin doesn’t alter muscle strength. There is no relationship between the serum CPK levels and muscle strength.
Highlights
IntroductionThis study aimed to investigate the effect of oral isotretinoin treatment on muscle strength
Musculoskeletal side effects related to isotretinoin are frequently reported
We found that systemic isotretinoin did not cause any dysfunction in hamstring and quadriceps muscle strength on 6 months of treatment in patients with acne vulgaris
Summary
This study aimed to investigate the effect of oral isotretinoin treatment on muscle strength. Isotretinoin is a vitamin A derivative frequently used in the resolution of treatment-resistant, moderate to severe acne vulgaris [1, 2]. In 15 to 50% of patients with isotretinoin-induced myalgia, an elevated serum level of creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) has been shown [6]. The hamstring and quadriceps muscle strength of 26 patients that received isotretinoin for acne vulgaris and 26 control patients who did not receive systemic medication were evaluated at the beginning and at 3 months into treatment [3]. The advantages of our study were the follow-up period being increased from 3 to 6 months and the additional investigation of the relationship between the blood CPK levels and muscle strength
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