Isotretinoin use in adolescence does not compromise linear growth

Treatment with isotretinoin for acne in adolescents does not appear to exert a negative effect on adult height, as reported in a study.

The study included 379,196 individuals eligible for military conscription in Denmark. Conscription records were linked via unique personal identifiers to prospectively collected data from nationwide Danish registries.

Adult height measured at conscription was the primary outcome, compared between isotretinoin-exposed and -unexposed participants. The predefined minimal clinically important difference was ≥5 cm. The secondary outcome was stunting.

Of the participants, 368,338 were men and 10,858 were women. Median age at conscription was 19 years among men and 19.2 years among women. There were 16,739 (4.5 percent) male and 278 (2.6 percent) female isotretinoin users.

The mean height at age 19 years was 180.4 cm in men and 168.3 cm in women. Adult height did not significantly differ between the isotretinoin-exposed and -unexposed groups, with an adjusted mean difference of 0.31 cm among men and 0.25 cm among women. Both estimates were below the predefined minimal clinically important difference.

Results were consistent across subgroups defined by age at initiation and cumulative dose and in analyses using stunting as the outcome.

These present data may inform decision-making when considering isotretinoin treatment during adolescence.