P55 Clinical application of external treatment for rosacea based on syndrome differentiation in traditional Chinese medicine
Yuanfeng LongAbstract
Introduction and aims
To explore the clinical efficacy and safety of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) external therapy based on syndrome differentiation for rosacea, and establish an individualized comprehensive therapeutic model integrating facial application, fumigation and herbal compresses.
Methods
Ninety patients with moderate rosacea were enrolled at Fengdu County TCM Hospital from January 2024 to April 2025. They were classified into three TCM syndrome types (blood heat, blood stasis, qi-yin deficiency with internal heat) and randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group (30 cases each). The treatment group received individualized external therapies: daily TCM herbal facial wash (e.g. Lonicera japonica and Forsythia suspensa for wind-heat; Smilax glabra and Rheum rhabarbarum for damp-heat), alternate-day syndrome-matched herbal fumigation, night-time herbal paste application (with adjusted duration to avoid burden), plus adjuvant therapies including acupuncture at Hegu, Zusanli and Xuehai, bloodletting at ear apex or Ashi points, mild cupping on the back/limbs, acupoint injection with syndrome-specific herbal extracts, and thread embedding at facial/distal points. The control group used topical metronidazole gel twice daily. Both groups were treated for 4 weeks. Efficacy was evaluated via the Erythema Index (EI), papule/pustule count, TCM syndrome score, the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and Patient Global Assessment. Participants were also monitored for adverse events.
Results
After 4 weeks, the treatment group showed significantly greater reductions in EI and lesion count than the control group (P < 0.01). TCM syndrome scores improved markedly in all three types, with enhanced quality of life (DLQI, P < 0.05) and no serious adverse events were recorded.
Conclusions
The multimodal TCM external therapy based on syndrome differentiation is safe and effective for rosacea, serving as an alternative or complement to Western medicine. Further multicentre trials are needed for standardization.