Shortcomings in rosacea diagnosis and classification

[Guide]

"Almost a decade and a half has elapsed since the initial proposition of criteria for rosacea diagnosis and grouping into common presentations or subtypes. Reappraisal of these items suggests shortcomings in case-finding and diagnostic accuracy that require revision to facilitate rather than undermine future investigation. Subtyping of rosacea, a post-hoc means of grouping more common presentations, can be and has been subverted inappropriately to imply strict categories without adequate consideration of the varying phenotypic presentation of individuals and the potential for temporal variation. Scales for rosacea severity are also confounded by similar multidimensional aspects represented in subtyping. In clinical investigation, this can interfere with study of the course of singular features of rosacea and their measurement."

Br J Dermatol. 2017 Jan;176(1):197-199. doi: 10.1111/bjd.14819.
Shortcomings in rosacea diagnosis and classification.
Tan J, Steinhoff M, Berg M, Del Rosso J, Layton A, Leyden J, Schauber J, Schaller M, Cribier B, Thiboutot D, Webster G; Rosacea International Study Group.

The Phenotype Classification of rosacea is superior to the subtype classification.