Rosacea: Getting under the skin of an enigma

The chronic inflammation that underlies rosacea can cause distressing symptoms including facial flushing, redness, pimples, pustules as well as burning and stinging sensations.¹ Sometimes, rosacea can result in disfiguring changes, such as rhinophyma – an enlarged, distorted, bulbous nose.²

Not surprisingly, rosacea’s visible symptoms often cause considerable embarrassment, anxiety and low self-esteem as well as markedly undermining health–related quality of life (HRQoL).¹ But rosacea’s effects may be more than skin deep: the underlying inflammation seems to be associated with several other serious conditions. And, in many ways, rosacea remains shrouded in mystery.

A common condition

There is little doubt, for example, that rosacea is relatively common. Quite how common isn’t clear, however: estimates of the prevalence (total number of cases) vary from 0.1% to 22%.^3,2 A UK study suggested an incidence (number of new cases) of 1.65 per 1000 patient years.³