Angioedema-Urticaria Due to Acitretin

Abstract

Acitretin is a synthetic oral retinoid that has been used for a number of dermatological diseases. Several side effects of acitretin have been reported such as teratogenicity, cheilitis, xerosis, dyslipidemia, and photosensitivity. Many drugs, mainly antibiotics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, can cause angioedema-urticaria. We present the case of angioedema-urticaria due to acitretin, confirmed by oral provocation test, in a 61-year-old man with psoriasis. To the best of our knowledge, only 1 case of angioedema due to oral acitretin has been reported in the literature so far. We report this case to draw attention that acitretin may cause angioedema-urticaria and to inform patients about this risk besides other side effects due to acitretin.