Fourteen patients with treatment-resistant cystic and conglobate acne were treated for four months with oral 13-cis-retinoic acid, a synthetic isomer of naturally occurring all-trans-retinoic acid. The average dose was 2.0 mg per kilogram per day. Thirteen patients experienced complete clearing of their disease; the other had 75 per cent improvement, as determined by the number of acne nodules and cysts present before and after therapy. Prolonged remissions, currently lasting as long as 20 months after discontinuation of therapy, have been observed in all 14 patients. Clinical toxicity was limited to the skin and mucous membranes in most patients and was dose dependent and rapidly reversible upon discontinuation of therapy. The mechanism of action of 13-cis-retinoic acid in the therapy of acne probably involves a direct inhibitory effect of the drug on the sebaceous gland.