Ocular rosacea: an update on pathogenesis and therapy

Abstract

Purpose of review: Ocular rosacea is a common and potentially blinding eye disorder with an uncertain etiology. Therapies currently in vogue for ocular rosacea have not been rigorously studied with regards to specific indications, optimal dosing regimens, or treatment efficacy. This review will summarize the recent literature with regards to etiology and therapy of ocular rosacea, and will also examine current thinking about the parent disorder, acne rosacea.

Recent findings: Comparatively few papers on ocular rosacea were published in the past year. Recent articles on the prevalence of ocular rosacea in patients with acne rosacea suggested that between 6 and 18% of acne rosacea patients have signs or symptoms of ocular rosacea, but few cases were confirmed by an ophthalmologist. Recent articles on the pathogenesis of ocular rosacea have focused on the role of bacterial lipases, and interleukin-1alpha and matrix metalloproteinases in the blepharitis and corneal epitheliopathy, respectively. Other reports highlighted the presence of the disorder in children, and the lack of masked, placebo-controlled studies for those therapies currently in common use.

Summary: The epidemiology, etiology, and optimal therapy of ocular rosacea remain to be determined, and will require a more concerted effort to delineate.