Rosacea subtypes guide treatment approach

Classification of rosacea patients by subtype guides physicians toward the most appropriate treatment for each patient, says Frank Powell, M.D.

Dr. Powell will discuss the four rosacea subtypes in his presentation today on "New Concepts in Rosacea."

While each of the four rosacea subtypes - erythematotelangiectatic, papulopustular, phymatous and ocular - may have some overlapping features of another subtype, physicians usually can categorize patients according to the predominant features of the clinical presentation, Dr. Powell says.

This helps indicate the best therapy. For instance, patients with erythematotelangiectatic rosacea may need treatment with a specific type of laser, while those with papulopustular or ocular rosacea may require treatment with antibiotics, and those with phymatous rosacea may need surgery or treatment with a different type of laser.Classification according to subtype is also important for researchers, as different factors may be involved in the cause of each subtype, Dr. Powell says.