Two of the world’s standard drugs for acne can cause eye problems such as conjunctivitis – and could lead to permanent damage to the cornea.
Isotretinoin – marketed as Accutane and Roaccutane – doubles the risk of eye infection, including inflammatory conditions such as ‘pink eye, or conjunctivitis, sties and infections that cause the entire eyelid to swell.
But these irritating conditions can become dangerous if the sufferer starts rubbing the eye. This can lead to structural problems such as keratoconus, the degeneration of the cornea.
In a research study by Tel Aviv University involving around 15,000 acne sufferers, 1791 developed inflammatory ocular disease, including 991 in those taking the acne drug and in 446 who weren’t taking the medication.
(Source: Archives of Dermatology, 2012; doi: 10.1001/archdermatol.2012.352).
