Rosacea And Rhinophyma

Rhinophyma has been observed from ancient times in Greece and Arabia but first named by Hebrea in 1845. The term rhinophyma stems from the Greek words: Rhis (Greek for nose) and phyyma (Greek for growth). A year later in 1846, rhinophyma was first associated with rosacea. Daniel Sennert performed the first known surgery for rhinophyma in 1629.

Rhinophyma is a form of rosacea that is characterized by chronic redness, inflammation, and increased tissue growth of the nose. In the early stages it may be seen as nasal bumps. Rhinophyma commonly occurs as a result of untreated rosacea. As more bumps appear, the nose takes on a more swollen, misshapen appearance. Rhinophyma can take on many different forms. In most forms, the nose is chronically red and inflamed. There is also evidence of swelling, and the skin often shows thickened skin with large pores, resembling the peel of an orange (peau d' orange). In some forms, sebaceous gland hypertrophy and hyperplasia (increased growth and number of sebaceous glands) can cause the nose to grow considerably, resulting in a bulbous appearance. It is a more severe form of acne rosacea. The cause is not really known.

Rhinophyma has been associated with many causes such as the over-consumption of alcohol. No consistent causative factor has been identified to date. Men are 12 times more likely to have this problem than women.

Symptoms of rhinophyma include an overgrowth of the sebaceous skin glands, vessel and tissue growth in the deeper layers of the skin, and a thickening of the outer layer of the skin. This can make for a very obvious and prominent nose.

Non-surgical treatment for rhinophyma is similar to rosacea care and includes attention to skin hygiene, avoidance of foods that seem to worsen the condition and the use of antibiotics when small infections are present.

Rhinophyma is actually a slow growing benign tumor due to hypertrophy of the sebaceous glands of the tip of nose often seen in cases of long-standing rosacea. Rhinophyma appears as a pink, lobulated mass over the nose with superficial vascular dilation; mostly affects men past middle age. Rosacea patient seeks advicenad treatment because of the unsightly appearance of the tumor, or obstruction in breathing and vision due to the large size of the tumor. Treatment consists of paring down the bulk of the tumor with sharp knife or carbondioxide laser and the area allowed to re-epithelialise. Sometimes, tumor is completely excised and the raw area skin-grafted.