BUDAPEST, HUNGARY — Ocular involvement in rosacea is common, yet frequently goes undiagnosed.
Rosacea is one of the most common skin diseases, affecting an estimated 14 million Americans. Some 30%-60% of patients have ocular involvement in addition to the classic chronic central facial erythema, inflammatory lesions, and telan-giectasia, Dr. Martin Schaller said at a satellite symposium on advances in translational research in rosacea held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the European Society for Dermatological Research.
“Often they do not know they have ocular rosacea. Also, the eye doctors they have gone to for 10 years because of ocular dryness, foreign body sensation, or light sensitivity do not know it,” observed Dr. Schaller, professor of dermatology at Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany.
The clinical manifestations of ocular rosacea are blepharitis, conjunctivitis, and, in more severe cases, keratitis. “This is a potentially blinding eye disease,” he stressed.
The real diagnostic challenge lies in the fact that 20% of patients with rosacea have ocular symptoms as their first signal of the disease. Their dermatologists and primary care physicians need to have a low threshold for referring their patients with eye symptoms to an ophthalmologist—and not just any ophthalmologist, but one who is experienced with rosacea.
Treatment is oral doxycycline at 100 mg daily or twice daily, tapering to 50 mg daily or every other day, for up to 6 months.
The satellite symposium was sponsored by Galderma Laboratories, LP.
Primary care physicians need to have a low threshold for referring rosacea patients with eye symptoms.
Source DR. SCHALLER