FROM DERMATOLOGIC SURGERY
Fractional microneedling radiofrequency (FMR) therapy resulted in modest but clinically significant improvements in the appearance and inflammation of rosacea in a small study of patients with mild to moderate rosacea.
The treatment delivers bipolar radiofrequency energy to the dermis via an array of microneedles, without damaging the epidermis, noted Seon Yong Park, MD, and colleagues from the department of dermatology at Seoul (South Korea) National University. It has previously been associated with clinical and histological improvements in acne-associated postinflammatory erythema and is used in the treatment of cutaneous wrinkles. The authors said that, as far as they know, this is the first study to evaluate the use of FMR in patients with rosacea.
In the prospective, single-blind, randomized, split-face clinical study, 21 patients (20 females, 1 male) with mild to moderate rosacea were treated with two FMR sessions, 4 weeks apart, then assessed 4, 8, and 12 weeks after the second session. The mean age of the patients was 43 years; they had Fitzpatrick skin type III (13 patients) or IV (8 patients), and rosacea was considered mild in 12 patients and moderate in 9 patients at baseline.
Researchers saw clinical improvements in 17 (81%) of the patients on the treated side; these patients had a mean improvement in the Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) score of 2.47 by week 12, representing about a 20% improvement ( Dermatol Surg. 2016 Dec;42[12]:1362-9 ).
In the group overall, mean IGA scores at weeks 4, 8, and 12 were 1.05, 1.57, and 2.00 for the treated side, compared with 0.29, 0.38, and 0.38, respectively, for the untreated side, which, the authors wrote, indicated that “there was modest but statistically significant improvements in the treated side.”
Photometric measurements of redness showed significant reductions on the treated side, compared with the untreated side and baseline, with reductions in the erythema index of 11.9%, 10.7%, and 13.6% at week 4, 8, and 12, respectively.
Histological assessment showed reduced dermal inflammation, significant reductions in average mast cell count, and an overall decrease in immunohistochemical intensity in the treated skin 8 weeks after treatment. Similarly, there were significant decreases in markers of angiogenesis, inflammation, innate immunity, and neuroimmunity on the treated side, compared with baseline.
“Fractional microneedling radiofrequency was slightly more effective in reducing erythema in patients with PPR [papulopustular rosacea] than in those with ETR [erythematotelangiectatic rosacea], suggesting that inflammatory lesions, such as papules and pustules, could be more effectively treated with this device,” the authors wrote. “This result agreed with reports showing that FMR is effective in treating inflammatory acne.”
No serious adverse effects were reported, although 19 patients (90.5%) experienced mild pain during the procedure and 17 (81%) had mild erythema that lasted for up to 5 days. Patients also reported less itching, heat, burning, or pricking on the treated side, which showed that the treatment was effective in controlling the symptoms of rosacea, Dr. Park and associates said.
The study was supported by the SNUH Research Fund and National Research Foundation of Korea. The authors, who are also in the acne and rosacea research laboratory, Seoul National University Hospital, had no conflicts to disclose.
