Manifestations of ocular rosacea in females with dark skin types.

BACKGROUND: Current knowledge about ocular rosacea in dark skin individuals is lacking. The prevalence of ocular rosacea varies considerably among studies and is probably higher than previously presumed. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence and pattern of ocular rosacea among dark skinned female patients, compare it with fair skinned, and to correlate the severity of cutaneous disease with ocular findings. METHOD: Female patients diagnosed with rosacea between 2011 and 2013 were studied prospectively. They were referred to ophthalmology for clinical observations and slit lamp examination. In all patients Schirmer and Tear break up time tests to diagnose dry eye were performed. RESULT: Fifty six consecutive female patients, joined the study with different skin types ranging from skin type 4 to 6. A total of 43 patients (76.8%) were positive for ophthalmologic findings. The most frequent symptoms were itching, burning sensation and redness, while the most frequent signs were meibomian gland dysfunction, dry eyes, eyelid telangiectasia and irregular margin. Significant correlation was noted between meibomian gland dysfunction and irregular lid margin (P = 0.003). Dry eye and Schirmer test significantly correlated with eye lid telangiectasia (p = 0.004; 0.015) respectively. No significant correlation was found between the severity of cutaneous disease and ocular findings. CONCLUSION: Ocular rosacea in dark skinned females is a common presentation and is comparable to that reported for fair skin, with eyelid telangiectasia and meibomian gland dysfunction being early phenomena. Earlier onset and more benign course were seen compared to other studies. Ocular and cutaneous rosacea are independent of each other.

Unusual features of rosacea in saudi females with dark skin.

BACKGROUND: Data on the clinical presentation of rosacea among darker-skinned ethnic groups is scarce. This article presents the clinical spectrum of rosacea in Saudi female patients with differences highlighted according to skin types. METHODS: Female patients diagnosed with rosacea at the dermatology clinic in King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between February 2010 and May 2011 were studied prospectively. Data collected included demographics, duration of the disease, personal history of any atopic disorder, aggravating factors, cutaneous and ocular symptoms, the presence of migraine, Helicobacter pylori infection, skin phototypes, and the clinical types and severity of rosacea. RESULTS: FIFTY PATIENTS CONSENTED TO JOIN THE STUDY: 20 (40%) were patients with skin type 4, 9 (18%) had skin type 5, and 21 (42%) had skin type 6. The cheeks, glabella, and chin were involved in 26 (52%) patients. Extrafacial lesions affecting chest, back, and ears were identified in 7 patients (14%). Severe erythematotelangiectatic rosacea was diagnosed in 21 patients (42%): skin type 4 comprised 50%, higher than the incidences for skin type 5 (22%) and skin type 6 (42.9%). The severe papulopustular subtype of rosacea was noted in 7 patients (14.0%), affecting 20% with skin type 4 and 14% with skin type 6. Severity of the erythematotelangiectatic or papulopustular subtypes of rosacea was not significantly associated with skin type (P=0.5691 and P=0.7740, respectively). CONCLUSION: This study addresses the growing interest in skin diseases in dark-skinned individuals. Rosacea is one of the skin disorders that had always been described for fair-skinned populations, but our results indicate that darker-skinned individuals also can be affected by rosacea and the clinical presentation is similar to that seen in patients with fair skin.

Dermatological manifestations of hepatitis C virus infection in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Ministry of Health data indicates that almost 32% of viral hepatitis cases were caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV). It has been widely reported that chronic HCV infection is associated with and may trigger or exacerbate many skin manifestations in 20-40% of patients visiting dermatologists. The most commonly encountered dermatological manifestations of HCV infection globally include mixed cryoglobulinemia, porphyria cutanea tarda, cutaneous and/or oral lichen planus, urticaria, pruritus, thrombocytopenic purpura, and psoriasis. The current article indicates that HCV infection is increasing in Saudi Arabia and approximately 12% of the reported dermatological manifestations are caused by HCV infection. We recommend the urgent need for large-scale, case-control studies to understand the impact of HCV infection in patients with skin disease.