Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory cutaneous disorder that occurs in about 13 million Americans.1,2 Onset typically occurs between ages 30 and 50 in fairskinned people of northern and eastern European origin. Early rosacea manifests as diffuse background erythema and flushing. In later stages, the vascular component is more prominent, with the development of telangiectasia on the nose, nasolabial folds, cheeks, glabella, and chin. Acneiform papules and pustules can emerge in the same distribution. More common in women, rosacea may be more severe in men, in whom large inflammatory nodules and soft-tissue hypertrophy may be disfiguring. Ocular rosacea, including erythema and telangiectasia.

The pathogenesis of rosacea is not understood. Recent reviews have repudiated the postulated association with Helicobacter pylori infection. Demodex folliculorum has also not been conclusively shown to be causative.

Jeffrey S. Dover, M.D., F.R.C.P.C.
Director, SkinCare Physicians, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA
Murad Alam, M.D.
Surgery Fellow, SkinCare Physicians, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA

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