Successful Treatment of Granulomatous Rosacea by JAK Inhibitor Abrocitinib: A Case Report

Granulomatous rosacea (GR) is a rare inflammatory skin disease characterized by persistent, hard, yellow, brown, red, or fleshcolored papules, plaques, or nodules on the face. Limited data are available on patients treated for GR, with only case reports and case series published. Herein, we describe the case of a 53-year-old woman who presented to the hospital with persistent red to brown and pink patches on both cheeks accompanied by a burning sensation for one month. Histopathological examination of a cutaneous biopsy revealed granulomatous inflammation in focal areas. Both acid-fast and Periodic acid-Schiff staining were negative. The patient was diagnosed with GR based on her clinical presentation and laboratory test results. She was treated with abrocitinib, a JAK-1 inhibitor, for 20 weeks. This resulted in substantial improvement in her rash and the associated burning sensation. Subsequent follow-up visits indicated no adverse effects or relapses. Additionally, a literature review was conducted to compare with the current case, which concluded that abrocitinib is a viable treatment option for GR, exhibiting a relatively high safety profile with minimal side effects.

Automated summary

Granulomatous rosacea (GR) is a rare inflammatory skin disease characterized by distinctive lesions. A case of a 53-year-old female patient with GR is described, showing significant improvement after treatment. Literature review suggests that abrocitinib is an effective and well-tolerated treatment option for GR.