CO2 Laser for the Treatment of Rhinophyma

Rhinophyma is a disease that presents in a small proportion of patients with rosacea. It consists of a slow, progressive hypertrophy of the sebaceous glands and of the connective tissue of the nose, and presents clinically as a nasal deformation.

We present the case of a 50-year-old man, who came to consultation to resolve his nasal deformity, which gave rise to respiratory and psychological problems for him (Fig. 1).

Figure 1

The patient was scheduled for surgical nasal remodelling using CO₂ laser.

Under general anaesthesia, the nasal dermis was infiltrated with an adrenalin solution to decrease bleeding. Next, the nose was remodelled with a Lumenis Sharplan^® CO₂ laser in 2 stages: in the first, the entire thickness of the skin affected was resected, in “cutting mode”, and in the second all the exposed tissue is gone over again, in “vaporisation mode”.

The patient was discharged after 24 h, there not being any postoperative complications, with the commonly prescribed analgesia.

He came for medical attention and wound dressing weekly after that. Progressive, continued re-epithelialization of the nasal surface was seen on these occasions. Three months after the intervention, the appearance of the nasal pyramid is normal (Fig. 2).

Figure 2

The laser emits an invisible infrared light that is absorbed by water-rich tissues and vaporises them.

Excellent aesthetic results, low complication rates, high patient satisfaction and rapid healing make the CO₂ laser safe and highly effective for the treatment of rhinophyma.