Perioral dermatitis: an uncommon condition?

To document the persistence of perioral dermatitis at dermatology clinics at University Hospital, Saskatoon, we reviewed the charts of all patients with the condition seen between January 1983 and March 1985. Patients with rosacea referred to the clinics during the same period were used as a comparison group. A total of 80 patients with perioral dermatitis and 117 patients with rosacea were seen during the study period; most were female. Those with perioral dermatitis were significantly younger and had a significantly shorter mean duration of the eruption before presentation than those with rosacea (p less than 0.001). The distribution of the lesions was different in the two groups. Sixty-eight (85%) of the patients with perioral dermatitis and 45 (38%) of those with rosacea had used topical corticosteroids, a postulated risk factor for perioral dermatitis; the use of potent topical corticosteroids was frequent in both groups. Despite continuing medical education on the dangers of chronic use of these agents for eruptions on the face, physicians continue to prescribe them.