Treatment of redness in rosacea with potassium-titanyl-phosphate (KTP) 532 nm laser with and without topical 1% ivermectin cream: a randomized split-face trial.
Kristine Heidemeyer, Simone Cazzaniga, Alexandra Junge et al.
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In 30 seconds
This randomized, evaluator-blinded split-face trial assessed whether topical ivermectin adds benefit to KTP 532 nm laser treatment for rosacea. Twenty-four patients received four laser sessions, with daily 1% ivermectin cream applied to one side of the face. At week 16, the combination side had a greater reduction in Normalized Erythema Index than the laser-only side (ΔNEI%: 16.6 vs 5.3; p = 0.04). Other redness and clinical scores did not differ significantly, although papule reduction across visits was greater with ivermectin (p = 0.02). Both approaches were well tolerated, with no serious adverse events.
Key findings
- At week 16, NEI reduction was greater with laser plus ivermectin than laser alone (ΔNEI%: 16.6 vs 5.3; p = 0.04).
- Papule reduction across visits was significantly greater on the ivermectin-treated side (p = 0.02).
- SRI and other reported clinical scores showed no significant between-side differences.
- Both treatments were well tolerated, with no serious adverse events.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that adding topical ivermectin to vascular laser treatment may improve measured erythema and papule outcomes in rosacea, while other clinical measures were not significantly different. This distinction is relevant when interpreting combination-treatment benefits: the observed advantage was limited to selected outcomes in a small split-face trial, rather than consistent improvement across all assessed measures.
What to keep in mind
The trial included 24 patients, and follow-up outcomes were reported at week 16; the abstract does not establish longer-term effects.