Impact of topical metronidazole on the skin and colon microflora in patients with rosacea

Abstract

20 patients with rosacea were treated with a 1% metronidazole cream b.i.d. for one month. Sixteen out of twenty patients improved. The skin and intestinal microflora were studied before, during and after treatment. Topical metronidazole did not cause any significant changes in the microflora. No side effects were observed.

Systematic review and meta‐analysis of the role of metronidazole in post‐haemorrhoidectomy pain relief

“…Metronidazole may act to directly scavenge ROS in the presence of certain fatty acids (principally linolenic acid) . Much of this research is derived from the effective use of topical metronidazole as a treatment for rosacea, a chronic skin condition, where it is effective in reducing inflammation without any demonstrable change in skin flora and thus acts primarily as an anti‐inflammatory agent rather than an antibiotic. Whilst metronidazole has been used to treat other conditions such as burns, perianal Crohn's disease and pilonidal abscess there are no studies using rectal mucosa models to study the anti‐inflammatory effects of metronidazole.…”

Topical Metronidazole Maintains Remissions of Rosacea

“…[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] Sometimes, both systemic antibiotics and topical metronidazole are used together at first. Once rosacea improves, the oral antibiotic regimen may be discontinued with the hope that topical application of metronidazole will maintain the remission.…”

May <i>Helicohacter pylori</i> Be Important for Dermatologists

“…On the other hand, it remains to be explained why metronidazole has a beneficial effect especially on papulopustular and granulomatous rosacea and why it is active in topical medications without interfering with the colonic microflora [21 ]. Rosacea, on the other hand, has a multifac torial etiopathogencsis and metronidazole has other effects than the simple antibacterial activity.…”