Rhinophyma

Rhinophyma is a disfiguring nasal deformity due to the proliferation of sebaceous glands and underlying connective tissue. The name itself is broken down into "rhis," derived from Greek meaning nose, and "phyma," also Greek, for skin tumor. While rhinophyma is the most common subtype of these tumor-like swellings, other sites include the following[1]: Mentophyma (chin). Metophyma (forehead). Gnatophyma (chin). Otophyma (ears). Bleharophyma (eyelids). Acne rosacea is the precursor condition to later development of rhinophyma and was linked to this disease as the ultimate expression of rosacea in 1846 by Ferdinando Hebra Von (1816-1880). [2] Historically, the condition has been known to exist as seen in a 15th Century painting by Domenico Ghirlandaio (1490), "An Old Man and His Grandson," which shows a man with a large rhinophyma (See Figure). This disfiguring disorder is essential to treat, as patients are subject to psychological distress and respiratory issues when alar thickening can obstruct the external nasal valves. An additional social challenge is a commonly presumed link to excessive alcohol use. The direct causal relationship between rhinophyma and alcohol has not been substantiated and has promoted a social stigma, as colloquial names for this condition include "whiskey nose" and "gin blossom." [3] [4]"Potato nose" is another common lay description of this type of nose. Hollywood has used rhinophyma to indicate distasteful or villainous characters: in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937), the villain Queen was given a rhinophyma, besides deep rhytids and periorbital swelling.