Rhinophyma: Our experience based on a series of 12 cases

Abstract

IntroductionRhinophyma is a rare, benign and unsightly disease of the skin of the nose that was first described a very long time ago, as illustrated by portrait of an old man with a bulbous nose holding his grandson, by Ghirlandaio in 1490. It was described for the first time by Ferdinando Hebra Von (1816–1880), as the third stage of rosacea. The objective of this study is to report the author's experience and propose a new treatment option in the management of rhinophyma. Material and methodsWe describe our experience of rhinophyma based on a retrospective case study. ResultsWe identified 12 cases over a 12-year period, with a marked male predominance. The therapeutic approach was the same in all patients, consisting of a combination of dermabrasion, decortication and application of fibrin glue, with a favourable outcome in every case with complete epithelialisation. ConclusionRhinophyma is a rare condition of uncertain pathophysiology. Management is surgical and, in view of the many techniques and procedures proposed, we advocate the slogan “to each his own technique”, until a consensus has been reached. Our technique combining dermabrasion, decortication and application of fibrin glue has given very good results.