ArticleJournal of translational medicine2025
In vivo confocal microscopy provides evidence of corneal nerve damage and basal tear film reduction in patients treated with oral isotretinoin.
Article in Journal of translational medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Association between dynamic pupil parameters and corneal sub-basal nerve plexus morphology.Documenta ophthalmologica. Advances in ophthalmology · 2026Article
- Recurrent and persistent refractive errors after restarting isotretinoin treatment: a case report.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundIsotretinoin is a vitamin A derivative used as a first-line treatment for moderate to severe acne. One of its most frequent side effects is dry eye disease (DED), in which tear film instability and neurosensory abnormalities play an etiologic role. The purpose of this research was to analyze changes in corneal innervation and its association with tear film integrity in patients treated with oral isotretinoin.
methodsTwenty-eight patients treated with oral isotretinoin and the same number of age and sex distribution-matched healthy volunteers were included in this observational case‒control study. They were examined by in vivo corneal confocal microscopy (IVCM) to quantify the corneal nerve fiber density (CNFD), corneal nerve branch density (CNBD), corneal nerve fiber length (CNFL), and corneal nerve fractal dimension (CNFrD) in addition to the presence of dendritiform cells, microneuromas, and visibility of axonal beadings. Tear film analysis was also performed, as was the perception of discomfort related to ocular surface disease.
resultsThe results of the comparative analysis of the isotretinoin group vs. the control group (mean [standard error]) were as follows: CNFD 18.57 [1.67] vs. 24. 57 [1.55] fibers per mm
conclusionOral isotretinoin treatment promotes a vicious cycle of ocular surface disease that leads to damage to the subbasal nerve plexus. This damage increases with treatment time and impacts basal tear production.
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