[Metronidazole: alternative treatment for ocular and cutaneous rosacea in the pediatric population]

To assess the effectiveness and tolerance of systemic metronidazole in the treatment of childhood ocular and cutaneous rosacea.

Single-center multidisciplinary retrospective study.

Children aged between 1 and 15, with ocular and/or cutaneous rosacea, treated in the pediatric ophthalmology and dermatology department of Bordeaux, France, from January 1996 to September 2009.

Eleven patients out of 20 had ocular and cutaneous rosacea, three had ocular symptoms only, and six had cutaneous symptoms only. In 11 patients (55%), the ocular symptoms preceded the skin disease. Meibomian cyst and phlyctenular conjunctivitis were the main symptoms. Keratitis was seen in four patients and lower corneal ulcer in two cases. The papulopustular form was the most frequent dermatologic form. All patients with ocular involvement received first-line treatment of eyelid hygiene. No topical ophthalmic treatment such as corticosteroid or cyclosporine 0.5% or 2% was used. Thirteen patients who showed no improvement despite eyelid treatment, the association of ocular and cutaneous rosacea, severe ocular involvement with keratitis, and severe recurrent cutaneous rosacea were treated orally. Two patients, aged between 12 and 14 years, received treatment with an anti-inflammatory dose of doxycycline for 2 to 3 months and achieved complete remission. One 22-month-old patient received oral treatment with erythromycin at a dose of 250 mg three times daily for 4 months. Ten patients, aged 12 to 64 months, were treated with systemic Metronidazole. Treatment lasting at least 3 months at a dose between 20 and 30 mg/kg per day was necessary to obtain complete and lasting remission. An early cessation of treatment, before 3 months, seems associated with partial remission of the disease and early recurrence. In cases complicated by ocular keratitis and corneal ulcer, prolonged treatment lasting 6 months led to clinical remission. The short courses (3-6 months) were preferred to long-term administration to prevent neurological toxicity. Maintenance therapy was based on eyelid hygiene. No recurrences and no toxic effects were observed at a median of 48 ± 6 months.

Childhood ocular rosacea is not rare, but is often misdiagnosed. It often precedes skin symptoms but it can remain isolated. Metronidazole could be alternative treatment for ocular and cutaneous rosacea in the pediatric population.