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THERAPEUTIC APPROACH TO ACNE AND ROSACEA

Jun

2016

Vol. 35. No. 2

Introduction

Acne has been written about since ancient Greek times and was a recognized entity even during Cleopatra’s reign. Today, acne is pervasive in most cultures and is the number two reason why patients visit a dermatologist in the United States. It is the eighth most common disease worldwide. Despite the longstanding awareness of acne and its prevalence, no perfect treatment yet exists.

Topical and oral therapeutic approach to rosacea

Lisa M Maier, MD | Yolanda R Helfrich, MD

Rosacea is an inflammatory condition of the skin, primarily affecting the central convexities of the face. Various topical and oral therapeutic approaches exist. Most have been developed to treat the papulopustular subtype of rosacea; however, other approaches can be used to treat the erythematotelangiectatic, ocular, and phymatous subtypes. This review provides a summary of available topical and oral approaches for the treatment of rosacea.

Isotretinoin for acne and rosacea

Kendra D Watson, MD | Megha M Tollefson, MD | Rachel Y Miest, MD

Isotretinoin is a revolutionary medicine for the treatment of acne vulgaris, with new studies showing evidence of excellent clinical outcomes in treating rosacea. After 30 years of clinical experience, new insights are being gained into dosing strategies, recurrence prevention, and dose-related side effects. Previous controversial associations with inflammatory bowel diseases and mood disorders have hampered the use of this medication in some clinical situations, with new evidence disproving these claims. The teratogenicity of this medication mandates iPLEDGE compliance with government regulations. Clinicians should be knowledgeable about this medication including its side effects, teratogenicity, and its controversies in order to adequately counsel patients, dissuade fears, and obtain the best clinical outcome when treating acne and rosacea.

Over-the-counter treatments for acne and rosacea

Lorraine Larsen Rosamilia, MD

Acne and rosacea are common inflammatory processes historically classified in the same disease category, but evolving understanding of their disparate pathophysiology and exacerbating factors have generated an enormous armamentarium of therapeutic possibilities. Patients seek over-the-counter therapies first when managing cutaneous disease; therefore, this review defines ingredients considered to be effective over-the-counter acne and rosacea products, their mechanisms, and safe formulations, including botanical components, oral supplements, and other anecdotal options in this vast skin care domain.

Physical modalities for treating acne and rosacea

H Ray Jalian, MD | Molly Wanner, MD | Yakir Levin, MD, PhD

Physical modalities provide an important adjunct to medical treatment of acne and rosacea. In patients who cannot tolerate or fail medical treatments, physical modalities offer an alternative approach. For cases of acne scarring, phymatous changes of rosacea, and rosacea-associated telangiectasia, physical modalities such as laser and light treatments represent the treatment of choice. We will review the use of laser and light treatments, photodynamic therapy, and other physical modalities such as targeted therapies for the treatment of acne and rosacea.

What’s new in acne and rosacea?

Jonette Keri, MD, PhD

Acne and rosacea are common conditions seen every day by dermatologists. This review will discuss the most recent therapeutic options for patients with these conditions. Specifically, for acne, there will be a discussion of the use of isotretinoin at higher cumulative doses as well as a new formulation of isotretinoin, isotretinoin-lidose. Adult women with acne represent a growing population of patients who present for treatment of acne; the use of hormonal therapies as well as topical dapsone gel will be reviewed for these patients. For rosacea patients, the new topical agents – brimonidine gel and ivermectin cream – will be reviewed, with a discussion on possible rebound phenomenon from brimonidine. Finally, future treatments in the pipeline will be discussed.