Perioral dermatitis is a condition seen exclusively in women who abuse topical steroids and moisturizing cream.
a) True _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Wrong answer ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ b) False _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Correct ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ Answer and Commentary _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Perioral dermatitis is a condition characterized by red papules and, less often, by pustules on the face, about the mouth, naso-labial folds and sometimes around the eyes. The cause of this condition is unknown. Several causal factors have been promoted, such as ultraviolet light, candida and bacterial infections, contact agents, topical steroids and hormonal factors. The predominance of this condition in women aged 16 to 50 years old, the pre-menopausal flare-up, and the extensive involvement during pregnancy tends to suggest some sort of hormonal association. The treatment that gives the greatest success is oral tetracycline. The medication is given for 6 weeks using an initial dose of 750 mg per day and reducing to 250 mg daily after 3 weeks. ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯
