retinaldehyde and Rosacea

The aim of the study was to perform a prospective blinded trial to compare the improvement of midface acne rosacea using 532 nm laser therapy with and without a retinaldehyde-based topical application.. A private clinic and surgicentre specializing in facial plastic surgery.. A prospective randomized blinded clinical trial.. Fourteen patients with type 1 erythematotelangiectatic acne rosacea were enrolled in the study. The side of the face to be treated was chosen randomly. The opposite side of the face served as the control. Patients underwent six treatments with the 532 nm laser, with four sets of photodocumentation over a period of 3 months. Following each treatment, patients were asked to rate their degree of improvement based on a 5-point improvement scale. A final assessment was performed by five separate blinded evaluators.. Final photographic evaluation to assess (1) reduction in overall redness, (2) reduction in visible telangiectasia, (3) difference between left and right sides of the face, and (4) degree of overall skin texture improvement.. Three men and eight women completed the study. Six right hemifaces and five left hemifaces were treated. One hundred percent of patients noted a mild to moderate improvement in all signs of type 1 acne rosacea, including overall redness of the face, telangiectasia, and skin texture. The blinded evaluators were able to note a difference between the treated and untreated sides 47% of the time.. The 532 nm laser combined with the topical retinaldehyde improved overall redness, telangiectasia, and skin texture in acne rosacea patients. The degree of improvement was greater when compared to using the laser alone as the sole treatment modality.

Topics: Administration, Topical; Adult; Double-Blind Method; Esthetics; Female; Humans; Laser Therapy; Male; Prospective Studies; Retinaldehyde; Rosacea; Telangiectasis

Anecdotal observations suggest that retinoic acid may be effective in mild rosacea.. Our aim was to investigate, by an exploratory clinical and instrumental study, the effects of a topical formulation with the retinoic acid precursor retinaldehyde, in patients with vascular signs of facial rosacea.. Female patients were treated with a 0.05% retinaldehyde cream that was applied once daily for 6 months. Clinical assessments of persistent erythema and telangiectasia were performed every month, using a 4-point severity score (absent to severe). The clinical response for each parameter was defined as a decrease of at least 1 grade in the severity score. In addition, erythema was further evaluated by measurement of the a* parameter, using a spectrophotometer on lesional and nonlesional areas.. A total of 23 women comprised the study population. At baseline, 10 patients had diffuse erythema, 3 patients had isolated telangiectasia and 10 patients had both. During retinaldehyde treatment, a clinical response was revealed in about 75% of the patients with erythema, after 5 months (p < 0.05). Similarly, isolated telangiectasia responded to retinaldehyde, although to a lesser extent and after a longer period of treatment (46% responders after 6 months, nonsignificant). Using the spectrophotometer, the a* parameter diminished in patients with erythema by about 15%, after 2 months of treatment (p = 0.001).. This study indicates that retinaldehyde has beneficial effects on the vascular component of rosacea.

Topics: Administration, Topical; Adult; Erythema; Facial Dermatoses; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Ointments; Retinaldehyde; Rosacea; Telangiectasis