Eye Involvement Common in Childhood Rosacea

<p>TUESDAY, Feb. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Children suspected of having cutaneous rosacea should be seen by an ophthalmologist, since ocular involvement often accompanies skin findings, according to an article published in the <i>Archives of Dermatology</i> in February.</p><p>Melanie Chamaillard, M.D., of Bordeaux Children's Hospital in Bordeaux, France, and colleagues studied 20 children aged 1 to 15 years diagnosed with cutaneous and/or ocular rosacea, in order to characterize features of cutaneous and ocular rosacea in childhood and adolescence.</p><p>Of the 20 patients, 11 had both ocular and cutaneous rosacea, three had isolated ocular rosacea, and six had isolated cutaneous rosacea. The most common skin findings were papulopustular eruptions on a telangiectatic background. Eye involvement preceded cutaneous symptoms in 11 patients (55 percent). Chalazions and blepharoconjunctivitis were the most common ocular symptom, while four patients had severe ocular involvement including keratitis and corneal ulcers. Minor cutaneous involvement was treated with topical metronidazole or niacinamide, while systemic therapy with either metronidazole or tetracyclines was used in severe cases.</p><p>"An association of ocular symptoms and facial inflammatory dermatosis in a child should lead to a suspicion of rosacea," the authors write. Furthermore, "if a diagnosis of cutaneous rosacea is suspected, an ophthalmologic follow-up is necessary to detect ocular involvement and to prevent complications such as keratitis and corneal ulcers."</p><p><a href=" http://archderm.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/144/2/167" target="_new">Abstract</a><br/><a href=" http://archderm.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/144/2/167" target="_new">Full Text</a></p>

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