Hoffmann-La Roche attempts to down-play the serious side effects of Accutane by talking about its effect on the skin. They readily admit that it causes skin diseases and/or injuries in order to detract attention to its more harmful side effects. Following are just a few of those skin and appendages side effects.

Skin and Appendages: acne fulminans, alopecia, bruising, dry lips and mouth, dry nose, dry skin, epistaxis, eruptive xanthomas, flushing, fragility of skin, hair abnormalities, hirsutism, hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation, infections (including disseminated herpes simplex), nail dystrophy, paronychia, peeling of palms and soles, photoallergic reactions, photosensitizing reactions, pruritus, pyogenic granuloma, rashes (such as facial erythema, seborrhea, and eczema), sunburn susceptibility, sweating, urticaria, vasculitis, abnormal wound healing.

Acne Fulminans - a rare and very severe form of acne associated with systemic symptoms. It almost always affects males only.

Alopecia - hair loss (sometimes permanent)

Epistaxis - nose bleeds

Eruptive Xanthomas - yellow-orange to red-brown papules that are usually surrounded by an erythematous halo. They appear in groups on the buttocks, extensor surfaces of the extremities, and flexural creases.

Hirsutism - increased hair growth (also in women)

Vasculitis including Wegener's Granulomatosis (WG) - a rare form of vasculitis, which is a disease characterized by inflammation of the blood vessel walls. Inflammation can result in damage to vital organs by restricting blood flow. WG normally begins as an inflammation of the nasal lining or lung tissue, before becoming a tumor-like inflammation of the blood vessels. WG is an autoimmune disease that causes the body's immune system to attack its own tissue.

WG primarily affects the respiratory tract (nose, sinus, lungs, and trachea) and the kidneys, but it may involve the eyes, ears, skin, and joints.

Central Nervous System

Accutane has been linked with complications of the Central Nervous System, such as strokes, paralysis, slurred speech, swelling of the brain, and pseudotumor cerebri (also known as intracranial hypertension)

Pseudotumor Cerebri

Symptoms of intracranial hypertenstion include severe headache, upset stomach and vomiting, and changes in vision. If you have any of these symptoms, call your doctor immediately.

Pseudotumor cerebri, also called benign intracranial hypertension, literally means false brain tumor. It is a result of increased pressure within the brain and is most common in women between the ages of 20 and 50. It is caused when the pressure in the blood vessels of the brain increases or when the brain swells.

Most individuals with pseudotumor cerebri have headaches, which are sometimes aggravated by changes in position. There might also be a "whooshing" sound or ringing in the ear. An individual might also experience varying types of vision problems. Other symptoms include upset stomach and vomiting.