Home › Research › Study library › Efficacy of Treatments in Reducing Inflammatory Lesion Count in…

Study summary · Skin, hair & photoaging

What is the effectiveness of topical and systemic therapies in reducing inflammatory lesion count in rosacea patients?

In one paragraph

Azelaic Acid Gel, a clinical trial (J Cutan Med Surg 2024, PMID 38807451) — both topical and systemic therapies are effective in reducing inflammatory lesion count in rosacea patients, primarily by suppressing inflammation and killing mites. No numeric effect size is reported for Azelaic Acid Gel in the source abstract.

Source: J Cutan Med Surg 2024, PMID 38807451 ↗ · Research map · How Magellan grades evidence · evidence confidence: low

J Cutan Med Surg · 2024 · PMID 38807451 · DOI 10.1177/12034754241253195

Plain-English summary written and published by Magellan Longevity · medical review by Gabriel Radu, DO (physiatrist, NPI 1376861765). We summarize what the paper reported — we did not run this study.

The takeaway

Oral isotretinoin was the most effective treatment for reducing inflammatory lesions in rosacea, though several other topical and systemic therapies also showed efficacy.

The question

What is the effectiveness of topical and systemic therapies in reducing inflammatory lesion count in rosacea patients?

What they tested

The study aims to identify effective treatments for reducing inflammatory lesions in rosacea, which could alleviate the associated psychosocial burden.

How they did it

A systematic review was conducted by searching Medline, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases. The review included 43 clinical trials with a total of 18,347 rosacea patients.

What they found

The most studied treatments were ivermectin, metronidazole, azelaic acid, minocycline, and doxycycline. Oral isotretinoin was found to be the most effective treatment in reducing inflammatory lesions.

What it means

Both topical and systemic therapies are effective in reducing inflammatory lesion count in rosacea patients, primarily by suppressing inflammation and killing mites. Oral isotretinoin is recommended for severe recalcitrant cases.

Limitations

Additional research is needed to determine effective combination therapies for rosacea.

“the most well-studied treatments include ivermectin, metronidazole, and azelaic acid”— from the published abstract, J Cutan Med Surg 2024

The paper at a glance

Title	Efficacy of Treatments in Reducing Inflammatory Lesion Count in Rosacea: A Systematic Review
Journal	J Cutan Med Surg
Year	2024
PMID	38807451 ↗
DOI	10.1177/12034754241253195 ↗
Topic	Skin, hair & photoaging

Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗ · Publisher via doi.org ↗

Where Magellan uses this paper

This citation sits behind the evidence grade on the pages below. Grades are set from the research and are independent of affiliate commissions.

Azelaic Acid Gel

Multiple randomized controlled trials, Cochrane reviews, and meta-analyses find that topical azelaic acid significantly reduces inflammatory lesions and erythema in papulopustular rosacea - a systematic review of five trials (873 patients) found four of five superior to vehicle - and a 2019 GRADE-assessed review…

Azelaic Acid Gel

Azelaic acid is a naturally occurring saturated dicarboxylic acid found in grains such as wheat, rye…

Check price on Amazon ↗

Research describes the compound or intervention studied. It is not a claim about any specific product.

Cite this page

These citations point at this summary. To cite the original paper with its full author list, use the PubMed record or doi.org.

APA

Magellan Longevity. (2026). What is the effectiveness of topical and systemic therapies in reducing inflammatory lesion count in rosacea patients? [Plain-English summary of J Cutan Med Surg 2024, PMID 38807451, DOI 10.1177/12034754241253195]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d38807451.html

BibTeX

@misc{magellan_d38807451,
  title        = {What is the effectiveness of topical and systemic therapies in reducing inflammatory lesion count in rosacea patients?},
  author       = {{Magellan Longevity}},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d38807451.html}},
  note         = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 38807451; DOI 10.1177/12034754241253195; J Cutan Med Surg 2024. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO},
  urldate      = {2026-08-11}
}

Permalink

https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d38807451.html

Related studies in the Magellan library

What is the clinical efficacy of topical 20% azelaic acid cream and 15% azelaic acid gel…Arch Dermatol · 2006 · PMID 16924055
Effectiveness of topical hyaluronic acid in xerosis cutis treatment in elderlyArch Dermatol Res · 2024 · PMID 38829483
Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Alpha-Hydroxy Acids in Dermatological Practice: A…Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol · 2024 · PMID 39050562
Collagen supplementation in skin and orthopedic diseases: A review of the literatureHeliyon · 2023 · PMID 37064452
Effectiveness of laser and topical tranexamic acid combination therapy in melasmaLasers Med Sci · 2023 · PMID 37326860
A clinical evaluation of a topical antioxidant formulation featuring vitamin C, astaxanthin…J Cosmet Dermatol · 2023 · PMID 37608511

All 32 Magellan summaries on skin, hair & photoaging →

How this summary was made. Every section above restates what the published abstract of PMID 38807451 reports — the question, the design, the numbers, the authors’ own conclusion and their stated limitations. We do not add claims the paper did not make, and we keep negative and no-effect findings in. Magellan’s evidence grades are set from research like this and never from affiliate commissions.

Prefer the interactive version? Open this summary in the Magellan app → · Browse all 314 study summaries →

Educational information, not medical advice. This is a plain-English summary of published research; it is not a treatment recommendation and nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual studies can be wrong, and a single paper rarely settles a question. Talk to your physician before acting on any research, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medication.