Acitretin suppression of squamous cell carcinoma: case report and literature review.

Retinoids have been used for the treatment and suppression of cutaneous malignancies in patients with basal cell nevus syndrome, xeroderma pigmentosum, and in patients with recurrent skin cancers as a result of immunosuppression for renal transplantation. We report a 40-year-old male who began to develop multiple squamous cell carcinomas of the skin after treatment with PUVA for severe psoriasis. The numbers of squamous cell carcinomas increased when acitretin was discontinued and decreased when he was taking the drug at a dose of 25 mg daily. Acitretin should be considered as a maintenance therapy for psoriasis patients developing squamous cell carcinomas as a result of PUVA therapy.