Treatment of Rosacea With Doxycycline Monohydrate

Rosacea is one of the most commonly occurring inflammatory dermatoses treated by dermatologists today. Estimates suggest that at least 13 million Americans have recognized rosacea, and the clinical experience of most practitioners would add considerably more to that number. Rosacea is an inflammatory condition of the skin, classically presenting with a history of flushing and/or blushing along with the clinical findings of erythema, edema, telangiectasia, papules, pustules, and nodules of the face. Severity and distribution vary considerably. A patient may have only a few scattered papules and pustules of the central third of the face or there may be numerous inflammatory, painful, tender, large nodules. In some cases, only the face may be affected. In other cases, there may be lesions of the scalp, neck, and/or torso. Although the exact etiology is unknown, rosacea is thought by most experts to be an inflammatory process incited by vascular instability with subsequent leakage of fluid and inflammatory mediators into the dermis.