CASE REPORTS   

Giornale Italiano di Dermatologia e Venereologia 2016 October;151(5):553-7

Copyright © 2016 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Rosacea fulminans or acute rosacea? Report of 5 cases and review of the literature

Lucia MANTOVANI, Stefania ZAULI, Annarosa VIRGILI, Vincenzo BETTOLI ✉

Section of Dermatology, Department of Medical Sciences, S. Anna Hospital, Ferrara University Hospitals, Ferrara, Italy

Rosacea fulminans, previously called pyoderma faciale, is an inflammatory disease considered a dramatic form of rosacea rather than of acne. Typical features are: exclusive facial involvement of young women, sudden onset of large nodules without other signs of acne, remission without scarring or with minimal scars, no recurrences or systemic symptoms. Oral isotretinoin associated with a short course of systemic and topical corticosteroids represent the recommended treatment. Personal observation of 5 cases has induced us to make a review of worldwide literature in order to better define this clinical entity. In our opinion, rosacea fulminans is a valid diagnosis, but clinical criteria should be rigorously respected to fully exclude rosacea conglobata and acne fulminans.