Clinical Manifestations and Treatment Outcomes of Pediatric Rosacea Patients: A Retrospective Study.

Background

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder with limited research in pediatric populations. The study aims to characterize the clinical features and evaluate treatment outcomes in Korean pediatric patients with rosacea. Method: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 22 pediatric patients with rosacea who visited a tertiary hospital in Korea (2013-2023).

Results

A total of 22 patients (F:M = 1.75:1) were included. The mean age at presentation was 14 ± 3.3 years. Papulopustular rosacea (PPR) was the most common subtype (72.7%), followed by ocular (45.5%) and erythrotelangiectatic rosacea (ETR) (27.3%). PPR was more frequently associated with nose involvement, while ETR predominantly affected the cheek. The mean duration of systemic treatment was 16.8 weeks, with 63.6% achieving favorable responses; however, 54.5% experienced recurrence, particularly females and those with PPR. The average symptom-free duration after discontinuing systemic treatment was 16.8 months.

Conclusions

In Korean pediatric patients with rosacea, clinical features and treatment outcomes were similar to the results of previous studies conducted in Western populations. However, in terms of epidemiology, a female predominance and adolescent onset were notable, which differ from previous studies. Additionally, the study presented the clinical differences between ETR and PPR and suggested potential predictors of recurrence in pediatric rosacea.