Trattamento del rinofima con chirurgia tradizionale ed innesto dermo-epidermico.

Rhinophyma is a rare dermatosis located at the lower half of the nose. It primarily affects Caucasian men in the forty to sixty decades of life and represents the end stage of rosacea. It is characterized by sebaceous gland hyperplasia and hypertrophy, lymphedema, hipervascularity, irregular fibrous tissue proliferation and inflammatory cell infiltrate. Progression of the disease leads to the onset of cists and nodules causing cosmetic problems. In these cases the surgical treatment is necessary. Several types of surgery have been proposed for rhinophyma treatment. Modern techniques includes CO2 laser and Yag laser; traditional techniques include electrocautery, decortication and full thickness excision followed by application of a free skin grafting (Thiersch type) obtained from areas such as behind the ear, the supraclavicular and abdominal wall. The authors, after a short review of the general aspects of rhinophyma, describe their experience about its treatment with a full thickness dermo-epidermic graft and emphasize this surgical procedure. This technique, easy to apply, guarantees satisfactory results in clinical and esthetic terms and is still a valid alternative when the disease is in an advanced stage.