Temporal bone pathology in fetuses exposed to isotretinoin.

Isotretinoin can be teratogenic, affecting many tissues, including the ear. However, there are only two histopathologic studies of the temporal bone in affected humans, and neither describes the findings in early gestation. We had the opportunity to study both temporal bones in each of two fetuses (22 and 24 weeks) exposed to isotretinoin in early gestation.