Rosacea is a chronic, progressive, inflammatory condition phenotypically subtyped into diagnostic features, major features, and minor/secondary features. There is currently no cure for rosacea, and it carries a significant negative psychosocial burden for afflicted patients. While there are a number of treatment modalities at the disposal of the clinician, clinical experience has suggested a need for updated treatments. The pathogenesis of rosacea is multifactorial; however, this paper will focus on the pivotal role of interleukin 17 (IL-17) in the development and progression of the disease. Furthermore, this paper will explore the mechanism of action of standard rosacea treatments and their effect on different stages of the IL-17 pathway. The standard treatments for rosacea are usually effective in controlling the symptoms of the disease in its mild-to-moderate form; however, their efficacy is diminished in the setting of severe and treatment-resistant rosacea. We hypothesize that IL-17 inhibitors, currently used successfully in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, could perhaps be used to treat severe and treatment-resistant papulopustular rosacea in the future; however, clinical trials and case reports will be needed to dictate expanded indications of IL-17 inhibitors. Furthermore, the high cost of IL-17 inhibitors presently prevents their use in disease states other than psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis.
The efficacy of cupping therapy is controversial, and psoriatic patients may develop localized psoriasis through koebnerization as a result of cupping therapy rather than achieve desirable therapeutic benefits.
Background. Although isotretinoin orally is commonly used for moderate to severe or scarring acne, it is not a cure. Unfortunately recurrence is unpredictable and varies within the acne population. Objectives. Using a proof of concept study, determine the recurrence of acne after isotretinoin use in male patients. Methods. Twenty males aged 18–45 years old were enrolled. Subjects successfully completed a treatment of acne vulgaris with oral isotretinoin (120–150 mg/kg/course). Subjects were randomized 1 to 1. The study duration was 24 weeks. The primary endpoint measured was the absolute change in lesion counts from baseline to weeks 16 and 24. Local tolerability assessments were measured. Results. There were favorable changes in all outcomes measured. Overall, there was a 38.7% lower lesion count with tretinoin 0.04% microsphere gel use versus vehicle. The active product was well tolerated with great patient satisfaction. There were no significant safety issues. The limitations included the low number of patients enrolled, average age, and percentage of patients lost to follow-up. Conclusion. In summary, the results favored tretinoin 0.04% microsphere gel in the prevention of recurrent acne after isotretinoin use in male patients over 18 years old over a six-month period.
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