Ocular rosacea.

Ocular rosacea was diagnosed in 49 patients. The most common signs and symptoms were foreign body sensation, burning, superficial punctate erosions, chalazia, and belpharitis. Less common but dangerous to the vision was corneal thinning, vascularization, and infiltrates. Three new associated symptoms were found. These were mapdot subepithelial opacities, recurrent erosions, and moderately severe foreign body sensation, pain or burning with minimal associated signs. Of the 49 patients, 37 were treated with 250 mg of oral tetracycline four times a day, which resulted in improvement in almost all patients from four to 17 days after initiation of therapy. Most of the patients have been able to taper, or taper and stop therapy without recurrence of their symptoms. Those patients with foreign body sensation, burning, and pain required the most prolonged therapy in order to taper or stop treatment with tetracycline.