Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2017 Jun;10(6):17-31.
Epub 2017 Jun 1.

The Burden of Illness of Erythematotelangiectatic Rosacea and Papulopustular Rosacea: Findings From a Web-based Survey

James Q Del Rosso  1 , Emil A Tanghetti  2 , Hilary E Baldwin  3 , David A Rodriguez  4 , Ilia L Ferrusi  5
Affiliations

The Burden of Illness of Erythematotelangiectatic Rosacea and Papulopustular Rosacea: Findings From a Web-based Survey

James Q Del Rosso et al. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2017 Jun.

Abstract

Objective: Evaluate patients' perceptions of rosacea symptoms and treatments. Design: Cross-sectional, web-based survey conducted from May 8 to July 1,2015. Setting: E-mail invitation. Participants: Male and female adults in the United States who self-reported having a physician's diagnosis of rosacea. Measurements: Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were collected for eligible respondents using the Self-Assessment of Rosacea Facial Redness scale and the Symptom Assessment for Rosacea Facial Bumps and Pimples questionnaire. Respondents were instructed how to differentiate erythematotelangiectatic rosacea and papulopustular rosacea. Use of different treatments and satisfaction with treatment were assessed, as were coping mechanisms. Results: More than 4,000 individuals responded and 600 completed the survey. The participants' mean age was 51.7 years and more than 90 percent rated their rosacea severity as mild or moderate. Most practiced stress and/or anxiety management, used makeup to cover rosacea, used sun protection, and changed their exercise regimens to cope with rosacea flare-ups. Participants reported avoiding sun exposure, hot baths and saunas, and specific skin care products to circumvent potential rosacea flare-ups. More than half (55.7%) had used a prescribed topical agent for rosacea in the preceding month, and 26.3 percent had used a prescribed oral antibiotic. Fewer than half were satisfied with treatment outcomes. Conclusion: Despite the chronic nature of rosacea, participants commonly used prescription agents only to treat flare-ups and relied on sun protection and other avoidance mechanisms to reduce their frequency. Education is needed to communicate the long-term nature of rosacea and the need for continued treatment to maintain long-term control.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure:This study was sponsored by Allergan plc, Dublin, Ireland. Manuscript preparation and editorial assistance was provided to the authors by Michael L. Pucci, PhD, of Peloton Advantage, Parsippany, New Jersey, and was funded by Allergan plc. Neither honoraria nor other form of compensation were made to the authors for authorship or any other activities related to preparation or submission of this manuscript. Related to the subject area of rosacea, Dr. Del Rosso serves as a consultant, speaker, and researcher for Allergan, Bayer Dermatology, and Galderma.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Disposition of survey respondents. ETR=erythematotelangiectatic rosacea; PPR=papulopustular rosacea
Figure 2A.
Figure 2A.
Initial symptoms reported by study participants. ‡p<0.0001 ETR=erythematotelangiectatic rosacea; PPR=papulopustular rosacea
Figure 2B.
Figure 2B.
Most bothersome symptoms of rosacea reported by study participants. *p<0.01; †p<0.001; ‡p<0.0001 ETR=erythematotelangiectatic rosacea; PPR=papulopustular rosacea
Figure 3A.
Figure 3A.
Behaviors practiced by participants to cope with rosacea. ETR=erythematotelangiectatic rosacea; PPR=papulopustular rosacea
Figure 3B.
Figure 3B.
Scenarios avoided by participants to prevent rosacea flare-ups. *p<0.01 ETR=erythematotelangiectatic rosacea; PPR=papulopustular rosacea
Figure 4A.
Figure 4A.
Scenarios in which participants used topical prescription agents for the management of rosacea. ETR=erythematotelangiectatic rosacea; PPR=papulopustular rosacea
Figure 4B.
Figure 4B.
Scenarios in which participants used oral prescription agents for the management of rosacea. ETR=erythematotelangiectatic rosacea; PPR=papulopustular rosacea
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Participants’ satisfaction with treatment during the three months prior to the survey. OTC=over-the-counter; Rx=prescription
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Del Rosso JQ, Thiboutot D, Gallo R, et al. Consensus recommendations from the American Acne & Rosacea Society on the management of rosacea, part 1: a status report on the disease state, general measures, and adjunctive skin care. Cutis. 2013;92(5):234–240. - PubMed
    1. Baldwin HE. Diagnosis and treatment of rosacea: state of the art. J Drugs Dermatol. 2012;11(6):725–730. - PubMed
    1. National Rosacea Society. Rosacea riddle now threatens more than 16 million Americans [press release] 2010. [Accessed on March 9, 2016]. http://www.rosacea.org/press/archive/20100401.php
    1. Wilkin J, Dahl M, Detmar M, et al. Standard classification of rosacea: report of the National Rosacea Society Expert Committee on the Classification and Staging of Rosacea. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2002;46(4):584–587. - PubMed
    1. Steinhoff M, Buddenkotte J, Aubert J, et al. Clinical, cellular, and molecular aspects in the pathophysiology of rosacea. J Investig Dermatol Symp Proc. 2011;15(1):2–11. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources