Ocular Rosacea: Beyond the Skin

Background: To the development of rosace contribute factors such as genetic, environmental, and neurovascular causes.. The ocular form affects an estimated prevalence of 10-46% of patients. Symptoms may include redness and tearing of the eyes, foreign body sensation, burning, dryness, itching, photophobia, blurred vision, eyelid margin telangiectasia, and periorbital erythema. Purpose: Ocular rosacea is a long lasting condition that causes persistent inflammation of the eyes and eyelids. The aim of this paper is to organize information on the etiopathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of this disease. Methods: Comprehensive review of the literature available on PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus database by searching the keywords “rosacea”, “ocular rosacea”, “ ocular rosacea treatment”, “keratitis”, “dry eye syndroms” Results: Diagnosis requires vigilance because the disease is often confused with other ophthalmological conditions. There are no specific treatment guidelines for ocular rosacea. Managment options depend on the stage of the disease, ranging from conservative treatment based on proper eyelid hygiene and avoidance of triggers in the mildest cases to long-term systemic antibiotic therapy in patients with advanced disease. Conclusions: Ocular rosacea is a disease that is not yet fully understood. Expanding research on this manifestation of rosacea is essential to develop standards for diagnosis and treatment. Collaboration between physicians from multiple specialties in patient care is essential to ensure rapid diagnosis and comprehensive treatment.