Treatment of rosacea-like demodicidosis with oral ivermectin and topical permethrin cream

Abstract

A 32-year-old man presented with a chronic rosacea-like dermatitis of the facial skin and the eyelids. The skin disorder had been present for 4 years and was unresponsive to multiple previous treatment attempts. Skin scrapings and a histologic examination of a biopsy specimen from the affected area revealed the presence of numerous Demodex mites. The patient was treated with oral ivermectin and subsequent topical permethrin resulting in complete and rapid clearing of the folliculitis. We believe that this case supports the view that Demodex mites may be pathogenic when they are present in large numbers. Oral treatment with 200 μg/kg ivermectin with subsequent weekly topical permethrin showed impressive treatment efficacy in a case refractory to conventional treatment. (J Am Acad Dermatol 1999;41:775-7.)