In rosacea – colloquially called copper rose (rose fin or copper fin) – (synonyms: Acne Rosacea; Gramnegative Rosacea; Granulomatous Rosacea; Copper Rose (Rosacea); Morbus Morbihan; Ophthalmorosacea; Rosacea conglobata; Rosacea fulminans; Rosacea; Childhood Rosacea; Steroid Rosacea; ICD-10 L71.-: Rosacea) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that manifests on the face.
Special forms of rosacea are:
- Gram-negative rosacea – caused by long antibiotic therapy of rosacea.
- Granulomatous rosacea – form of rosacea, which is mainly noticeable by brownish-reddish papules.
- Morbus Morbihan – form of rosacea, in which increased lymphatic vessels are involved.
- Ophthalmorosacea – form affecting the eyes.
- Rosacea conglobata – most severe form of rosacea with hemorrhagic altered abscessing nodes.
- Rosacea fulminans – usually in young women during pregnancy and lactation occurring severe form of rosacea (maximum form of inflammatory rosacea).
- Rosacea in childhood
- Steroid rosacea – due to long therapy of rosacea with corticosteroids.
Sex ratio: women to men is 3: 1. However, men are more likely to develop the severe form of the course.
Frequency peak: the onset of the disease is usually in the fourth and fifth decade of life. The peak of the disease is in the age group 61-65 years in women and in the age group 76-80 years in men. Rarely, the disease occurs before the age of 30.
The prevalence is 2-5% in Germany and up to 10% in Northern Europe. In the south, the prevalence is about 2 %.
Course and prognosis: The course of the disease is chronic and occurs in episodes. Skin areas adjacent to the face, such as the scalp, neck, chest and back, may also be affected. The disease can progress rapidly, but can also stop at any stage. Rosacea can also spread to the eye, leading to blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelids) and keratitis (inflammation of the cornea), for example. Eye involvement has been observed in approximately 20% of cases. Regular ophthalmologic check-ups are consequently required. Rosacea is not curable, but symptoms can be well controlled and contained by adequate pharmacotherapy (drug therapy).
Comorbidities (Concomitant Diseases): In patients with rosacea, comorbidities could be demonstrated for dyslipidemia (dyslipidemia of lipids; 20.9% of rosacea patients versus 16.3% of controls; odds ratio [OR] 1.41), coronary artery disease (CAD; 11.3% versus 9.0%; [OR 1.35]), and hypertension (high blood pressure; 22.8% versus 20.8% of controls [OR 1.17]).
