CONCEPTS IN PATHOGENESIS OF ROSACEA

SUMMARY. Ninety‐two patients with rosacea have been studied in order to test, where necessary against control subjects, certain widely accepted hypotheses concerning its cause. No evidence was found that bacteria are implicated as a factor in papular rosacea. Rosacea patients were not found to have a personality disorder, but when tested by a neuroticism proforma were found to be more depressed than control subjects. The depression was regarded as a reaction to the cosmetic disability. There was no evidence that rosacea is linked to disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. Rosacea is not related to the seborrhoeic diathesis. There is no evidence of any important structural or functional abnormality of the small blood vessels of the face. Rosacea patients were not found to be more exposed than controls to climatic extremes. Histologically rosacea appears not to be primarily a folliculitis. Solar elastosis is often conspicuous and disorganization and atrophy of the upper dermis are frequent. The significance of these changes is uncertain. The cause of rosacea remains unknown. Copyright © 1968, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved