Ocular Rosacea

ABSTRACT

Rosacea is a disease of skin and eye that is widely underdiagnosed by ophthalmologists. Rosacea is a common chronic skin disease in Caucacian, affecting flush areas of the face that include the skin, cheeks, nose, and forehead. Ocular manifestations of rosacea mainly involve the eyelids, conjunctiva, and cornea. These include blepharitis, meibomitis, chalazia, styes, and diffusely hyperemic conjunctiva. The cornea is involved with superior punctate epithelial erosions and is most severely involved by a peripheral vascularization, usually of the lower twothirds of the cornea followed by subepithelial infiltrates. A 18 year old Korean lady was found to have hyperemic conjunctiva, chronic recurrent multiple erythematous pustular skin lesion in the face. Systemic administration of tetracycline and penglobe resulted in marked improvement in the signs and symptoms of disease. Topical corticosteroid 0.5% and chloramphenicol 0.5% also improved the manifestations of ocular rosacea.