Novel photopneumatic therapy for the treatment of rosacea.

BACKGROUND

Rosacea is a common skin condition, but the currently available treatments are not satisfactory.

OBJECTIVE

We wanted to assess the efficacy and safety of photopneumatic therapy (PPx), which delivers pneumatic energy and broadband light (400~1,200 nm), for the treatment of erythematotelangiectatic rosacea.

METHODS

Twenty two patients with erythematotelangiectatic rosacea were treated 3~5 times with PPx. Three independent dermatologists evaluated the efficacy of PPx by comparing the photographs taken before and after treatment. Patient self-assessment was also done by interviews.

RESULTS

The photographic assessment by the dermatologists of the improvement showed that >50% improvement occurred in 64% (14/22) of the patients. The specific categories of improvement were as follows: poor (<25% improvement), 1 patient; fair (25~50% improvement), 7 patients; good (50~75% improvement), 11 patients; and excellent (>75% improvement), 3 patients. Based on the patients' self-assessment, 20 patients (91%) acknowledged an improvement.

CONCLUSION

PPx is an effective and safe treatment option for erythematotelangiectatic rosacea.