The growing importance of topical retinoids in clinical dermatology: a retrospective and prospective analysis

Topical tretinoin was the first of the retinoids to be launched into the channels of commerce for the treatment of acne vulgaris 30 years ago.1 Since then there has been an explosion of interest in the therapeutic uses of retinoids, in both oral and topical formulations. This is reflected in the thousands of papers that have been published in medical journals in the last 15 years and by the synthesis of at least 2500 new retinoids by the pharmaceutical industry. In dermatology, retinoids are among the most exciting and important pharmacologic agents in light of their large presence on the therapeutic scene.