Ocular rosacea and treatment of symptomatic Helicobacter pylori infection: a case series

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by recurrent episodes of facial flushing, erythema, papules, pustules, and telangiectasia. More than half of all rosacea patients may have ocular symptoms. Rosacea is associated with certain digestive diseases, such as gastritis, hypochlorhydria, or a number of jejunal mucosal abnormalities, and many patients have Helicobacter pylori infection. The role of Helicobacter pylori has often been a subject of investigation; these studies show conflicting results. Here we present results of the effects of treatment given for H. pylori eradication in seven patients with ocular rosacea that, at the same time, had clinical and serological evidence of H. pylori infection. Six weeks after completion of the treatment, all patients experienced improvement of their rosacea symptoms. Ocular disease responded better than cutaneous rosacea.     

玫瑰痤疮神经源性炎症及肉毒毒素治疗相关机制的研究进展

【摘要】 局部血管神经功能失调是玫瑰痤疮发病的重要因素,已证实神经源性炎症是神经血管失调的重要环节,而皮内注射肉毒毒素可缓解面部潮红、灼热表现,可能与抑制神经末梢神经肽释放以及抑制肥大细胞脱颗粒有关。本文综述玫瑰痤疮发病机制中神经源性炎症以及肉毒毒素治疗玫瑰痤疮的相关研究进展,以期为玫瑰痤疮神经相关基础研究及临床治疗提供依据。     

Endothelial and axon reflex vasodilatation to acetylcholine in rosacea-affected skin

Rosacea is a chronic skin disorder, characterized by persistent painful facial flushing and often accompanied by papules and pustules. To investigate the mechanism of facial flushing in rosacea, acetylcholine was administered by iontophoresis to a 10-mm diameter site in the forehead of 31 patients with rosacea and in 29 controls of similar age and sex distribution. During the iontophoresis, current strengths doubled in eight steps from 2.5 to 320 μA. For each step, skin blood flow was monitored during 60 s of iontophoresis and for 2 min afterwards with laser Doppler flow probes at the site of iontophoresis and 5–8 mm away in the region of axon reflex vasodilatation. Vascular responses to acetylcholine were similar in patients and controls, but stinging sensations were greater in patients than in controls at the most intense current strength. In addition, axon reflex vasodilatation was greater in patients with severe than mild rosacea. These findings suggest that activation of nociceptive nerve fibres contributes to skin sensitivity in patients with rosacea, and that axon reflexes augment flushing in patients with the most severe symptoms.     

Etiopathogenesis, classification, and current trends in treatment of rosacea

Rosacea is a common chronic dermatosis characterized by varying degrees of flushing, erythema, telangiectasia, edema, papules, pustules, ocular lesions, and phymas. Etiology and pathogenesis of rosacea are still unknown. Many possible causes have been described as inducing the disease or contributing to its manifestation, such as genetic predisposition, abnormal vascular reactivity, changes in vascular mediating mechanisms, Helicobacter pylori infection, Demodex folliculorum infestation, seborrhea, sunlight, hypertension, and psychogenic factors. However, none of these factors has been proved. Rosacea shows a wide spectrum of clinical presentations, which vary over time and with age. Successful management of rosacea requires careful patient evaluation and individualized therapy with appropriate variations and modifications, as the severity of the disorder fluctuates. In mild cases of rosacea, patients are instructed to avoid sun, to apply sun-protective creams, and to avoid facial irritants and other triggers that provoke symptoms. At later stage, drug therapy is often necessary. The disease commonly requires long-term treatment with topical or oral medicaments. Surgical correction may be required for rhinophyma and telangiectasia. We reviewed the current literature on the aspects of the pathogenesis, diagnostic criteria, and treatment options for rosacea.     

玫瑰痤疮面部潮红与红斑新认识

【摘要】 持续型面中部红斑与潮红是玫瑰痤疮最常见的临床表现,但对其病理机制了解甚少,并缺乏高证据等级临床研究支持。本文结合国内外研究进展及临床经验,强调将面部潮红与红斑作为独立的临床表型进行研究探讨的必要性,认为精神压力、焦虑和/或抑郁可能是其发病的使动环节。由精神因素出发,探索玫瑰痤疮面部潮红及红斑相关神经炎症与皮肤免疫及血管的关系具有潜在的临床意义。     

微生物在玫瑰痤疮中致病机制的研究进展

玫瑰痤疮是一种好发于面中部的慢性炎症性皮肤病,以面部阵发性潮红、持久性红斑、丘疹脓疱等为主要表现,其病因及发病机制尚不清楚.关于微生物在玫瑰痤疮中的致病作用存在争议.微生物一般通过破坏皮肤屏障、诱发炎症反应、分泌生物活性因子及毒素等方式介导玫瑰痤疮的发生.本文总结国内外近年关于微生物与玫瑰痤疮发病的相关研究,进一步揭示...     

酒渣鼻发病机制中微生物的作用

酒渣鼻是一种常见的面部慢性炎症性皮肤病,其发病机制尚不明确,其中微生物起重要作用。蠕形螨虫与酒渣鼻发病有密切相关,可能通过Ⅳ型免疫反应致病。在对蠕形螨虫所携带的细菌的研究中,人们发现奥列伦芽胞杆菌、表皮葡萄球菌可能由蠕形螨虫携带,并与之共同致病;幽门螺杆菌、小肠细菌过度生长等可能在合并消化道症状的酒渣鼻发病中起作用,但其相关性和致病机制并不确切。目前尚未发现痤疮丙酸杆菌、沃尔巴克体与酒渣鼻发病有关。     

Alcohol-induced rosacea flushing blocked by naloxone

We evaluated the roles of endogenous opioid peptides and histamine in the pathophysiology of alcohol-induced facial flushing in rosacea. Non-diabetic patients with rosacea ingested 360 ml of 6% ethanol after receiving either subcutaneous naloxone hydrochloride or oral chloropheniramine maleate. Only pretreatment with naloxone blocked the alcohol-induced rosacea flushing (AIRF), suggesting an active role of endogenous enkephalin and/or endorphin in this vascular reactivity. In this respect, AIRF is similar to chlorpropamide alcohol flushing and menopausal flushing.     

Childhood Rosacea

Rosacea usually occurs in adults and rarely has been noted in children. We recently observed three children with rosacea, all of whom responded dramatically to systemic and topical antibiotics. Rosacea in childhood must be distinguished from other erythematous facial disorders, most commonly acne, granulomatous perioral dermatitis, and sarcoidosis. The distribution of facial lesions; the presence of telangiectasias, flushing, and pustules; and the appearance of lesional biopsy sections and the ocular lesions, if present, allow differentiation of rosacea from other facial eruptions.     

1090例玫瑰痤疮患者临床特征分析及玫瑰痤疮新诊断标准探讨

目的 在分析大样本玫瑰痤疮患者临床特征的基础上提出新的诊断标准.方法 纳入中南大学湘雅医院皮肤科门诊初诊的1 090例玫瑰痤疮患者,收集基本资料、临床症状和自觉症状等,根据描述性分析结果,总结玫瑰痤疮临床特点,探讨新的玫瑰痤疮诊断标准.以1 200例以面部红斑为主要临床特点的门诊病例为对象,验证新标准的灵敏度和特异度.结果 1 090例玫瑰痤疮患者,男131例(12.0％)、女959例(88.0％),年龄10～66(33.5±11.1)岁.初始皮损发生在面颊部715例(65.6％),其中712例(99.6％)首发症状为阵发性潮红,689例(96％)伴有干燥、灼热、瘙痒等皮肤敏感症状;初始皮损发生在口周部208例(19.1％),其中204例(98.1％)首发症状为持久性红斑;皮损首发于鼻部167例(15.3％),其中163例(97.6％)首发症状为持久性红斑;伴有眼部症状311例(28.5％),伴有面部以外(颈部、耳后等)症状24例(2.2％).由此拟定新的玫瑰痤疮诊断标准,必备条件:面颊/口周/鼻部阵发性潮红或持久性红斑;次要条件:①灼热、刺痛、干燥或瘙痒等皮肤敏感症状;②毛细血管扩张;③丘疹或脓疱;④肥大增生改变;⑤眼部症状.符合必备条件和1条及以上的次要条件,即可诊断为玫瑰痤疮.将新的诊断标准在1 200例以面部红斑为主要临床特点的面部皮炎患者中进行验证,其灵敏度为99.3％,特异度为95.8％.结论 提出了一个具有较好敏感性和特异性的玫瑰痤疮诊断标准,值得在临床工作中应用.     

Rosacea Treatments

Rosacea is a common, chronic, cutaneous disorder presenting with recurrent episodes of facial flushing, erythema, papules, pustules and telangiectasias. It is a multifactorial disease and its various clinical presentations probably represent the consequence of combined different triggers upon a specific background. Its management is largely based on long-established treatments empirically tailored to the specific presenting symptoms and no real breakthrough has occurred to date. However, recent insights into the still rather obscure pathophysiology of rosacea seem to open the way for etiologically oriented treatments. These may include, on the one side, the more effective application of traditional drugs, such as tetracyclines and metronidazole, to specifically selected patients or, on the other side, new therapeutic options, such as vitamin D receptor antagonists.It is to be remarked that the quality of most studies evaluating rosacea treatment is rather poor, mainly due to a lack of proper standardization. For a major breakthrough to occur in the management of rosacea, we need both a better understanding of its pathogenesis and the adherence of future clinical trials to clearly defined grading and inclusion criteria, which are crucial for investigators to correctly compare and interpret the results of their work.     

Aktuelles Verständnis der Pathophysiologie der Rosazea

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin disease mainly affecting the face. Four major clinical subtypes of rosacea can be identified: erythemato-telangiectatic, papulopustular, phymatous and ocular rosacea. Still, it is currently unclear whether these subtypes develop consecutively or if any subtypes may occur individually as part of a syndrome. Rosacea is characterized by facial flushing, erythema, chronic inflammation, edema and fibrosis. Several trigger factors can worsen the disease or cause recurring episodes of inflammation. Although some aspects in the pathophysiology of rosacea have been characterized in more detail during the past years, the precise interplay of the various dysregulated systems is still poorly understood. In early disease manifestations and milder stages, dysfunction of neurovascular regulation and the innate immune system seem to be driving forces in rosacea pathophysiology. A disturbed chemokine and cytokine network further contributes to disease progression. This current review highlights some of the recent findings in rosacea pathophysiology and points out novel targets for therapeutic intervention.     

IFAG and Childhood Rosacea: A Possible Link?

Idiopathic facial aseptic granuloma (IFAG) is a disorder that usually occurs during early childhood. Its pathogenesis remains poorly understood. The objective of this study was to investigate possible relationships between IFAG and childhood rosacea. This was a retrospective multicenter study of patients attending four French dermatologic centers diagnosed with IFAG between October 2000 and July 2007. Patients and their parents were asked to come for a follow‐up visit or to make an appointment for a telephone interview. Clinical symptoms of childhood rosacea were recorded: flushing, permanent or recurrent erythema; facial telangiectasia; papules and pustules on the face without comedones or microcysts; preferential location of the lesions on the convexity of the face; and ophthalmologic involvement of rosacea (recurrent chalazions, conjunctival hyperemia, keratitis). Thirty‐eight patients, 20 girls and 18 boys, were included in the study. The median age at the time of diagnosis of IFAG was 43 months, with a median follow‐up of 3.9 years. Sixteen patients (42.1%) had at least two criteria of childhood rosacea, 11 of 32 (34.4%) with a single lesion and 5 of 6 (83.3%) with multiple lesions. Children with IFAG are at risk for childhood rosacea, and follow‐up is advised, including periodic ophthalmologic assessment.     

Neurovascular and neuroimmune aspects in the pathophysiology of rosacea

Rosacea is a common skin disease with a high impact on quality of life. Characterized by erythema, edema, burning pain, immune infiltration, and facial skin fibrosis, rosacea has all the characteristics of neurogenic inflammation, a condition induced by sensory nerves via antidromically released neuromediators. To investigate the hypothesis of a central role of neural interactions in the pathophysiology, we analyzed molecular and morphological characteristics in the different subtypes of rosacea by immunohistochemistry, double immunofluorescence, morphometry, real-time PCR, and gene array analysis, and compared the findings with those for lupus erythematosus or healthy skin. Our results showed significantly dilated blood and lymphatic vessels. Signs of angiogenesis were only evident in phymatous rosacea. The number of mast cells and fibroblasts was increased in rosacea, already in subtypes in which fibrosis is not clinically apparent, indicating early activation. Sensory nerves were closely associated with blood vessels and mast cells, and were increased in erythematous rosacea. Gene array studies and qRT-PCR confirmed upregulation of genes involved in vasoregulation and neurogenic inflammation. Thus, dysregulation of mediators and receptors implicated in neurovascular and neuroimmune communication may be crucial at early stages of rosacea. Drugs that function on neurovascular and/or neuroimmune communication may be beneficial for the treatment of rosacea.     

短波理疗仪治疗红斑毛细血管扩张型玫瑰痤疮临床观察

目的:观察短波理疗仪治疗红斑毛细血管扩张型玫瑰痤疮(ETR)的临床疗效。方法:收集70例ETR患者,随机分为2组,其中治疗组40例,对照组30例。2组均每日早晚使用保湿霜,治疗组每隔1周进行1次短波理疗,疗程8周。治疗前、后由皮肤科医生盲态下对患者面部红斑及毛细血管扩张进行评分;患者对阵发性潮红、灼热及干燥症状进行评分。评分标准采用玫瑰痤疮4级评分。皮肤检测仪检测2组治疗前、后皮肤含水量和经皮水流失(TEWL)值。记录疗程中的不良反应。结果:治疗后治疗组患者面部红斑、灼热及干燥程度评分均较治疗前明显改善(P<0.05),治疗组改善优于对照组(P<0.05);对照组患者灼热及干燥程度评分均较治疗前明显改善(P<0.05)。2组毛细血管扩张评分及阵发性潮红评分比较,差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。治疗后2组患者皮肤含水量均增加,治疗组增加大于对照组(P<0.05);2组TEWL值均下降,治疗组下降大于对照组(P<0.05)。所有患者均无明显不良反应。结论:短波理疗仪治疗可明显改善ETR患者面部红斑、灼热及干燥症状,且安全性较好。     

Intense pulsed light treatment for chronic facial erythema of systemic lupus erythematosus: a case report

BACKGROUND : A 33-year-old woman, who had been diagnosed previously with systemic lupus erythematosus, presented with chronic erythema and rosacea of the face. The patient suffered from flushing and burning of the facial skin and sought prior treatment with anti-malarial drugs. METHOD : After various treatment options were discussed with the patient, she agreed to undergo intense pulsed light therapy. RESULTS : Improvement was noted after the first session and 75% clearance was observed at 1 month after a second session. There were no adverse effects associated with the treatment. One year later it was observed that the results of the two treatments had been maintained. CONCLUSION : This case report suggests that there is another safe and efficacious alternative for treatment of chronic erythema and rosacea.     

Rosacea in the pediatric population

Rosacea is a condition of vasomotor instability characterized by facial erythema most notable in the central convex areas of the face, including the forehead, cheek, nose, and perioral and periocular skin. Rosacea tends to begin in childhood as common facial flushing, often in response to stress. A diagnosis beyond this initial stage of rosacea is unusual in the pediatric population. If a child is identified with the intermediate stage of rosacea, consisting of papules and pustules, an eye examination should be performed to rule out ocular manifestations. It may be beneficial to recognize children in the early stage of rosacea; however, it is uncertain if prophylactic treatment is necessary.     

Clinical and instrumental assessment of the effects of a new product based on hydroxypropyl chitosan and potassium azeloyl diglycinate in the management of rosacea

Background Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting mostly facial skin. Its origin is multifactorial. Important steps in its treatment are avoidance of any triggering factor and control of skin inflammation. Aim To assess the benefit of topical applications of a new product (P‐3075). Patients/Methods A randomized, multicenter, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, parallel‐group, pilot study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of a cream (P‐3075) based on 5% potassium azeloyl diglycinate (PAD, Azeloglicina^®) and 1% hydroxypropyl chitosan (HPCH). Forty‐two patients (rosacea stages I and II) were enrolled and randomized, 28 in the P‐3075 group and 14 in the placebo group. They were asked to apply the cream twice daily for 4 weeks. The main assessments were the objective quantification of erythema and skin hydration using the Mexameter^® and Corneometer^® devices, respectively. Clinical signs and symptoms were evaluated on a four‐point scale. Results The P‐3075 cream applied for 28 days was effective in skin protection by reducing erythema, evaluated both instrumentally and clinically. In addition, the clinical assessments of other symptoms such as flushing, stinging, and burning supported the beneficial effect of the P‐3075 cream. Conclusions The anti‐inflammatory and moisturizing effects of potassium azeloyl diglycinate combined with the protective properties of HPCH allow the new product to be a good candidate for controlling signs and symptoms of rosacea.     

Niacinamide-containing facial moisturizer improves skin barrier and benefits subjects with rosacea

A growing body of literature suggests that some moisturizers can improve stratum corneum barrier function, as well as ameliorate dry skin. The clinical signs and symptoms of rosacea, which include increased facial skin dryness and sensitivity, suggest a possible role for such moisturizers as an adjuvant in the management of this condition. This randomized, investigator-blind, controlled observational study (N = 50) was designed to assess whether a niacinamide-containing facial moisturizer would improve the stratum corneum barrier and thus provide a clinical benefit to subjects with rosacea. Subjects with rosacea applied the test moisturizer to their face and to one forearm twice daily for 4 weeks. The other forearm remained untreated as a control. Barrier function on the forearms was assessed instrumentally and using a dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) chemical probe. Stratum corneum hydration also was measured instrumentally. The dermatologist investigator evaluated each subject's rosacea condition over the course of the study, and subjects self-assessed their facial skin condition at study end. Instruments provided objective measures of stratum corneum barrier function and hydration on the face.     

The management of rosacea

Rosacea is a multiphasic disease which is associated with flushing, erythrosis, papulopustular rosacea and phymas; each phase is likely to have its own treatment. Flushing is better prevented rather than treated, and its etiology investigated. Beta-blockers, atenolol in particular, are worthy of prophylactic trials examining their efficacy in treating the flushing associated with rosacea. Currently, clonidine is the only drug available for the treatment of flushing. Treatment for erythrosis includes topical and systemic therapies. Metronidazole 1% cream and azelaic acid 20% cream have been reported to reduce the severity score of erythema. The systemic treatment of erythrosis is based on the association of Helicobacter pylori with rosacea. However, this role is still being debated. Eradication of H. pylori can be achieved using a triple therapy regimen lasting 1 to 2 weeks [omeprazole and a combination of two antibacterials (a choice from clarithromycin, metronidazole or amoxicillin)]. Both the flashlamp-pumped long-pulse dye laser and the potassium-titanyl-phosphate laser may be used in the treatment of facial telangiectases. Both systemic and topical remedies may be used to treat the papulopustules of rosacea. Systemic treatment includes metronidazole, doxycycline, minocycline, clarithromycin and isotretinoin, while topical treatment is based on metronidazole cream and gel. The presence of Demodex folliculorum is important in the inflammatory reaction, whether it is pathogenetic or not. Crotamiton 10% cream or permethrin 5% cream may be useful medications for papulopustular rosacea, although they are rarely successful in eradicating D. folliculorum. Oral or topical ivermectin may also be useful in such cases. Ocular involvement is common in patients with cutaneous rosacea and can be treated with orally administered or topical antibacterials. Once rhinophyma starts to be evident, the only way to correct it is by aggressive dermatosurgical procedures. Decortication and various types of lasers can also be used. Associated conditions, such as seborrheic dermatitis and possible contact sensitizations, deserve attention.