Childhood Rosacea

Rosacea usually occurs in adults and rarely has been noted in children. We recently observed three children with rosacea, all of whom responded dramatically to systemic and topical antibiotics. Rosacea in childhood must be distinguished from other erythematous facial disorders, most commonly acne, granulomatous perioral dermatitis, and sarcoidosis. The distribution of facial lesions; the presence of telangiectasias, flushing, and pustules; and the appearance of lesional biopsy sections and the ocular lesions, if present, allow differentiation of rosacea from other facial eruptions.