Cutaneous, ocular rosacea may go hand-in-hand in children

Bordeaux, France - Researchers at Bordeaux Children’s Hospital here say children diagnosed with cutaneous rosacea may also be suffering from ocular rosacea and should be examined by an ophthalmologist, HealthDay News reports.

According to an article published in the February issue of Archives of Dermatology, the researchers studied 20 children between 1 and 15 years of age who had been diagnosed with cutaneous and/or ocular rosacea.

Of the 20 patients, 11 had both ocular and cutaneous rosacea; three had isolated ocular rosacea; and six had isolated cutaneous rosacea. Eye involvement preceded cutaneous symptoms in 11 patients (55 percent).

“An association of ocular symptoms and facial inflammatory dermatosis in a child should lead to a suspicion of rosacea,” the authors write. “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.”