Treatment of Rhinophyma by Surgical Excision and Electrocautery: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Rhinophyma is a rare disease that primarily affects Caucasian men in the fifth to seventh decades of life. It is characterized by a progressive thickening of nasal skin, involving the lower two-thirds of the nose which may progress to large bulbous growths with dilated pores, causing lot of cosmetic and psychological concern and serving as a medium for occult cancers. Furthermore, impairment of breathing may coexist, making the surgical treatment necessary. Many treatment options are available for rhinophyma, but there is no standard treatment protocol. We report our experience in two bother patients with rhinophyma who underwent a combination of surgical excision with bipolar electrocautery and local infiltration of dilute epinephrine. It permits a spontaneous re-epithelialization in two weeks. Histological examination of the biopsy specimens revealed a hyperkeratosis of the epidermis and sebaceous gland hyperplasia. Both patients had excellent cosmetic and functional results. The described technique is simple, safe, efficient, and cost-effective approach to the treatment of rhinophyma.