It is sometimes used as a chemotherapy medication for prevention
and treatment of certain skin cancers.It is
a retinoid, meaning it derives from
vitamin A and is found in small quantities naturally in the body.
Isotretinoin is a teratogen and is highly likely to cause birth defects if taken during pregnancy. A few of the more common birth defects that this drug can cause are hearing and visual impairment, missing earlobes, facial dysmorphism, and mental retardation.