Rosacea Treatment with Intermediate-dose Isotretinoin: Follow-up with Erythema and Sebum Measurements

Abstract

Isotretinoin is one of the therapeutic options for rosacea. However, the response of erythema to treatment with isotretinoin is usually slow and incomplete with common (0.5–1 mg/kg/day) or low (10 mg/day) doses. This study investigated the efficacy of, and relapse on, 20 mg/day isotretinoin treatment in rosacea, with the aid of instrumental measurement of facial erythema and sebum levels. A 20 mg/day dose of isotretinoin was given for 4 months, and then the dose was tapered off within the following 6 months. A total of 25 patients were included in the study. Papule and pustule counts, erythema index, sebum level, dermatologist’s and patient’s erythema scores, and dermatologist’s sebum scores were significantly lower in the first month of therapy compared with pre-treatment values (p < 0.05). Within a median follow-up of 11 months (95% confidence interval: 8.4–13.5 months) 45% of patients had a relapse. In conclusion, 20 mg/day isotretinoin was rapidly efficient for reducing both inflammatory lesions and erythema in rosacea.