Natasa Teovska Mitrevska: Treatment of Rhynophyma with Ablative Er:YAG Laser - A Case Report
Rhinophyma is characterized by a progressive thickening of nasal skin, which produces a disfiguring soft-tissue hypertrophy of the nose. It is a benign dermatological disease of the nose affecting primarily men in their fifth to seventh decades of life. The main reasons why patients seek help are due to plastic cosmetic and functional impairments such as nasal obstruction.
We present our results with the application of Erbium:YAG laser in the treatment of Rhinophyma in a
72-year-old male patient. After administering short-term IV anesthesia, we performed 2940 nm Erbium:YAG laser therapy (spot size: 3 mm/5 mm, energy: 8 J/cm2, speed 10 Hz) to treat the patient’s lesion.
We started with laser ablation following the previous markings of the whole nose, while using intra operative local cooling and compression with a local solution of adrenalin the whole time. Immediately after the operation we used a compressive bandage and perioral antibiotics and mild analgesia. After laser ablation the skin started spontaneous re-epithelization of the surface without scarring. We monitored the patient with photo documentation before and 60 days after the procedure. For at-home therapy we prescribed sun screen protection for the next 3 months and moisturizing lotion.
In our report Rhinophyma of the nose responded well to Erbium:YAG laser treatment.