Treatment

Management of the disease involves:

• identifying and eliminating the underlying cause
  • discontinue topical steroids or any other facial cream which may have caused the symptoms
  • patients should be warned about worsening of symptoms for few days before starting to improve following withdrawal of steroid cream
• wash hands after application of topical steroids at a site distant to the face (in eczema) to avoid transfer on to the face
• treatment in
  • milder cases is with a topical antibiotic e.g. - clindamycin, erythromycin or metronidazole
  • other patients - systemic antibiotics (adult doses) e.g. - tetracycline (oxytetracycline 500 mg BD an hour before food, lymecycline 408 mg OD an hour before food) for 4-6 weeks or erythromycin 500mg BD
• recurrent symptoms can be managed in the same method (1)

Prognosis is excellent with adequate treatment. Untreated cases may have a fluctuating disease for months or years and if severe may result in scar formation (1).

Reference:

• (1) Primary Care Dermatology Society (PCDS) 2013. Perioral dermatitis