Rosacea and neuropeptides

Abstract

Rosacea is a common cutaneous disorder that has diverse clinical manifestations ranging from facial vascular hyperreactivity to sebaceous gland hyperplasia. It has been postulated that neurovascular interactions with release of proinflammatory and vasodilatory neuropeptides could be intergral to the pathogenesis of certain subtypes of this disorder. Stress, ultra-violet light or microbial antigens may stimulate release of these neurotransmitters and contribute to the flushing and erythema seen in some patients with rosacea. Study of the neurovascular interactive network in rosacea has provided understanding and insights in to the vascular reactivity which is a feature of the clinical disorder in some patients with rosacea.