Rhinophyma: diagnosis and treatment options for a disfiguring tumor of the nose

Abstract

Rhinophyma is a benign dermatologic disease of the nose affecting primarily Caucasian men in their fifth to seventh decades of life. It is characterized by a slowly progressive enlargement with irregular thickening of the nasal skin and nodular deformation. It is assumed to be the end stage of chronic acne rosacea. Main reasons that urge the patients to seek help are plastic cosmetic and functional impairments such as nasal obstruction. Surgical removal of the hyperplastic tumor mass is the treatment of choice for rhinophyma. In a retrospective review, the authors describe the pros and cons of the main treatment modalities that have been described in literature and present their own clinical experience.