Rosacea is a skin problem not uncommonly encountered world-wide. There is a need
for
an effective and well-tolerated treatment for this disease. OBJECTIVE: To
evaluate the
efficacy and side-effects of zinc sulfate in rosacea in a randomized,
controlled, double-
blind trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with rosacea who attended the
outpatient
Clinic of Dermatology and Venereology in Baghdad Teaching Hospital were
recruited into
this study between October 2002 and August 2004. A disease severity score was
calculated for each patient. The patients were randomly allocated to receive
either zinc
sulfate 100 mg or identical placebo capsules three times per day. Zinc sulfate
and placebo
capsules were given in a double-blind manner. Following 3 months of starting the
treatment, the patients crossed over, i.e. patients on placebo crossed over to
zinc sulfate
and those on zinc sulfate crossed over to placebo. RESULTS: Twenty-five patients
with
rosacea were included in this study: 16 (64%) females and nine (36%) males.
Nineteen
patients completed the study: 11 (58%) females and eight (42%) males. Patient
age ranged
from 21 to 64 years with a mean +/- SD of 48.2 +/- 9.3 years. Duration of the
disease
ranged from 1 to 14 years with a mean +/- SD of 4.4 +/- 3.2 years. In the group
started
on zinc sulfate, the score before therapy ranged from 5 to 11 with a mean +/- SD
of 8
+/- 2.0. The mean started to decrease directly after the first month of therapy
with zinc
sulfate to a significantly lower level. After shifting to placebo treatment, the
mean started
to rise gradually in the fifth month but remained significantly lower than the
levels before
therapy. In the group started on placebo, the score before therapy ranged from 5
to 9 with
a mean +/- SD of 7 +/- 1.3. The mean remained high in the first 3 months of
therapy
while the patients were on placebo. After shifting to zinc sulfate, the mean
started to
decrease after the fourth month to significantly low levels. No important
side-effects were
reported apart from mild gastric upset in three (12%) patients on zinc sulfate.
CONCLUSION: Zinc sulfate was found to be a good option in the treatment of
rosacea, as it
was safe, effective and lacking important side-effects.

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Brady
group owner