Rosacea has been reported with several systemic comorbidities, but its relationship with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is unclear. Thus, our objective is to conduct a meta-analysis on the association of rosacea with IBD.

We conduct a meta-analysis and searched MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and Embase databases for case-controlled and cohort studies that assessed the association of rosacea with IBD from inception to July 2nd, 2018. Two authors independently selected studies, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias of included studies. Disagreement was resolved by discussion. We performed random-effects model meta-analysis to obtain the pooled risk estimates for Crohn disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) in patients with rosacea.

We included three case-control and three cohort studies. The risk of bias of included studies was generally low. The meta-analysis on case-control studies showed marginally increased odds of CD (pooled odds ratio (OR) 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.99–1.69) and a significantly increased odds of UC (pooled OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.43–1.89) in patients with rosacea. The meta-analysis on cohort studies demonstrated significant increased risk of CD (pooled hazard ratio (HR) 1.58, 95% CI 1.14–2.20) and UC (pooled HR 1.18, 95% CI 1.01–1.37) in patients with rosacea.

The evidence indicates an association of rosacea with IBD. If patients with rosacea suffer from prolonged abdominal pain, diarrhea, and bloody stool, referral to gastroenterologists may be considered.