Managing Rosacea in the Clinic: From Pathophysiology to Treatment-A Review of the Literature

Rosacea is a chronic skin disease characterized by a waxing and waning course. It can encompass different symptoms including erythema, papules/pustules, telangiectasia, and phymata and sometimes secondary manifestations, such as itching, burning, or stinging. This article reviews recent changes in rosacea management. Discussion of relevant medical literature augmented with clinical expertise is also provided. Notably, while patients report that rosacea negatively impacts their emotional and overall well-being, they also tend to have low satisfaction with treatment and are prone to discontinuing therapy and/or using rosacea medications on an intermittent basis, thereby undermining treatment efficacy. Fortunately, the therapeutic armamentarium for rosacea is expanding, and experts now recommend a treatment approach that targets the presenting signs and/or symptoms, with the goal of achieving the greatest possible clearance. More so than in the past, several treatments can be used concurrently to best address the overall presentation of rosacea in an individual patient.