Rosacea and Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Case-Controlled Study

The study conducted at King Khalid University Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between September 2011 and September 2012, included 28 female Saudi patients with rosacea and 20 control patients without rosacea, aimed to explore the relationship between rosacea and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). It found that 67.9% of rosacea patients had radiological evidence of CRS compared to only 20% of control patients, with a significant p-value of 0.003. The severity of erythematotelangiectatic rosacea was significantly associated with CRS, although serum IgE levels were not correlated with rosacea severity or CRS presence. The study suggests a potential link between rosacea and CRS, with implications for clinical and radiological sinus assessments in rosacea patients. Despite being underpowered, the study indicates that rosacea patients have impaired skin barrier function and identifies sun exposure as a common aggravating factor, with dust and sweat more commonly reported by CRS patients. The lower prevalence of migraine in the study's rosacea patients compared to other studies may reflect racial differences. The findings point to a possible tissue interaction between inflamed sinus mucosa and overlying skin, which could inform future therapeutic strategies.