Some individuals may be genetically predisposed to develop rosacea, according to results of a study to determine whether rosacea patients had a family history of the disorder and whether they came from a particular ancestral community of origin. The results were reported in a poster presentation by Dr. Wayne Guliver, chairman of dermatology, and other researchers at Memorial University of Newfoundland during the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology. ¹

In the study of 110 rosacea patients from a dermatology practice serving eastern Newfoundland, Canada, 67 percent had at least one family member with the signs and symptoms of rosacea. Of that group, 74 percent said they had multiple family members with the disease.

The number of multiple family members with rosacea ranged from two to 16 per family, and rosacea appeared in up to four generations of a single family. Moreover, all respondents were born in Newfoundland, and gave their ancestral communities of origin as southwestern England or southeastern Ireland.

The evidence of a strong family history of rosacea supports the theory of a genetic predisposition to rosacea, the researchers said. The study also found a high incidence of concurrent skin conditions, most notably seborrheic dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis.

Associated Reference

1. Fagan D, Rawson N, Hutton J, et al. Rosacea: A review of family history and ancestral community of origin. Poster presentation, American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting, February 2002.