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Rosacea
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Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory disease of the face. It shows up as flushing that comes back again and again, as erythema, which is sustained redness, as telangiectasias, which are small vessels visible through the skin, and as papules or pustules, that is, solid bumps or bumps with fluid inside. It is concentrated on the nose, the chin, the cheeks and the forehead. The flushing of rosacea is not a moment of embarrassment: it comes back again and again on the same face.
Why it happens has not been settled. Proposed mechanisms include neurovascular dysregulation, which is a poor match between the nerves and the vessels of the skin; activation of the immune system; and the presence of the Demodex mite, a microscopic inhabitant of the skin.
Rosacea does not always look the same. Four clinical subtypes are described according to what predominates: erythematotelangiectatic, papulopustular, phymatous and ocular. And they are not mutually exclusive: one person can have features of several.
In brief
Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory disease with recurrent flushing, erythema, telangiectasias, papules or pustules on the face: nose, chin, cheeks and forehead.
The flushing of rosacea is not a moment of embarrassment: it comes back again and again on the same face.
Its exact cause is not fully understood; proposed mechanisms include neurovascular dysregulation, immune activation and the Demodex mite.
Four clinical subtypes are described, erythematotelangiectatic, papulopustular, phymatous and ocular, and they are not mutually exclusive.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingRosacea, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated