Acne vulgaris in the elderly: the response to low-dose isotretinoin

There is a very small number of patients who suffer from acne even in the sixth and seventh decades of life. These patients have suffered from acne for most of their lives, 30-60 years, and have often received multiple courses of antibiotics over many years. We saw 10 such patients over 4 years. One received oral isotretinoin 1 mg/kg per day, but was unable to tolerate the adverse effects of cheilitis and developed hyperlipidaemia. We subsequently treated nine others with oral isotretinoin, 0.25 mg/kg per day, for 6 months; in six the acne had virtually cleared by 3-4 months while the other three cleared by 6 months. Up to 36 months after therapy these patients have remained clear of acne except for one who relapsed after 11 months. Therefore, as these patients respond well with few side-effects both in the long- and short-term to low-dose isotretinoin, they should be treated with isotretinoin, although at the lower starting dose of 0.25 mg/kg per day compared with younger patients who are treated with 0.5-1 mg/kg per day, and the treatment maintained for 6 months.