PERIORAL DERMATITIS

Course overview

PERIORAL DERMATITIS IS A BENIGN ERUPTION THAT OCCURS MOST COMMONLY IN YOUNG, FEMALE ADULTS, CONSISTING OF SMALL INFLAMMATORY PAPULES AND PUSTULES OR PINK, SCALY PATCHES AROUND THE MOUTH. ALTHOUGH THE PERIORAL REGION IS THE MOST COMMON AREA OF DISTRIBUTION, THIS DISEASE ALSO CAN AFFECT THE PERIOCULAR AND PARANASAL SKIN. FOR THIS REASON, IT IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS PERIORIFICIAL DERMATITIS. TOPICAL STEROID USE TO THE FACE CAN TRIGGER THIS, AND THEREFORE, A PRIMARY RECOMMENDATION FOR TREATMENT WOULD BE DISCONTINUATION OF STEROID APPLICATION BY THE PATIENT. OTHER TREATMENT APPROACHES INCLUDE TOPICAL METRONIDAZOLE, TOPICAL CALCINEURIN INHIBITORS, AND ORAL TETRACYCLINE ANTIBIOTICS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF PERIORAL DERMATITIS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ITS MANAGEMENT.