Novel photopneumatic therapy for the treatment of rosacea.
BACKGROUND
Rosacea is a common skin condition, but the currently available treatments are not satisfactory.


OBJECTIVE
We wanted to assess the efficacy and safety of photopneumatic therapy (PPx), which delivers pneumatic energy and broadband light (400~1,200 nm), for the treatment of erythematotelangiectatic rosacea.


METHODS
Twenty two patients with erythematotelangiectatic rosacea were treated 3~5 times with PPx. Three independent dermatologists evaluated the efficacy of PPx by comparing the photographs taken before and after treatment. Patient self-assessment was also done by interviews.


RESULTS
The photographic assessment by the dermatologists of the improvement showed that >50% improvement occurred in 64% (14/22) of the patients. The specific categories of improvement were as follows: poor (<25% improvement), 1 patient; fair (25~50% improvement), 7 patients; good (50~75% improvement), 11 patients; and excellent (>75% improvement), 3 patients. Based on the patients' self-assessment, 20 patients (91%) acknowledged an improvement.


CONCLUSIONS
PPx is an effective and safe treatment option for erythematotelangiectatic rosacea.
Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Jun Hyung
JH
Kim
Seung Ho
SH
Chang
Mi Kyung
MK
Cho
Bang Soon
BS
Kim