Rosacea - Not Just a Condition of the Face

Skin signs of rosacea outside the central face may be more common than previously believed, according to a new study presented by Dr. Joel Bamford, associate professor of family practice, University of Minnesota - Duluth.

"Almost everyone thinks of rosacea as being a facial condition," Dr. Bamford said. Yet, in a study of 94 patients with rosacea, he found that 42 to 84 percent showed skin signs beyond the face. In the study, 99 percent of the patients had rosacea on the cheeks, 97 percent on the nose, 92 percent on the chin, 87 percent on the forehead and 86 percent para-nasally (alongside the nose). However, 84 percent also had similar symptoms of rosacea on the trunk, 66 percent on the neck, 57 percent on the ears and 42 percent on the scalp.

Of those patients with extra-facial skin signs, erythema (redness) was found on at least one site on the body in 100 percent of the cases, scaling in 100 percent, papules (bumps) in 96 percent, telangiectasia (visible blood vessels) in 90 percent of cases, pustules (pimples) in 71 percent and edema (swelling) in 30 percent.