Clinical findings in patients with ocular rosacea

Session Details

Session Title: Presented Poster Session: Spotlight on Cornea

Venue: Poster Village: Pod 2

First Author: : F.Cremona ARGENTINA

Co Author(s): :    F. Lucero Saa   P. Rinaudo   E. Paez Soria   T. Francisco   P. Chiaradia           

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To report the most frequent signs in ocular rosacea and the association with skin findings.

Setting:

Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martín. Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Methods:

51 patients with rosacea that had been previously diagnosed by a trained dermatologist were evaluated by an ocular surface specialist. A complete ophthalmological examination was performed.

Results:

In our study, the prevalence of ocular signs in patients with rosacea was 74.5%. The average age of presentation was 50 years and women were more affected than men. The most common findings were lid margin erythema, mebomian gland dysfunction and blefaritis. 15 patients had decreased visual acuity due to complications related to rosacea such as leucoma and corneal neovascularization. Interestingly, patients that had the lowest visual acuity presented with dermatological signs of papules and pustules (p=0,001018); and rhynophima (p= 0.02348). 2 patients that showed subepithelial fibrosis and fornix foreshortening were diagnosed as ocular cicatricial pemphigoid by immunohistopathological analysis.

Conclusions:

Ocular compromise in rosacea is common. Our study shows that there might be a relation between the severity of ocular compromise and advanced cutaneous disease. Rosacea and ocular cicatricial pemphigoid may coexist. In cases that present with conjuntival fibrotic changes, a diagnostic biopsy is mandatory.

Financial Disclosure:

None