Eosinophilic pustular folliculitis (Ofuji's disease): efficacy of isotretinoin.

The case of a 30-year-old man with a 6-year history of eosinophilic pustular folliculitis (EPF) is reported. Isotretinoin (1 mg/kg/day) led to a dramatic improvement of all the lesions within 2 weeks. The withdrawal of the drug was followed by a recurrence after 10 days of the papulopustular, follicular and pruritic lesions. Reintroduction of isotretinoin was successful. The benefits of isotretinoin in the treatment of EPF have, to the best of our knowledge, never been reported previously. The mechanisms underlying this efficacy may involve the inhibition of the eosinophilic chemotactic factors thought to be present in sebaceous lipids and in the stratum corneum of patients suffering from EPF.