Depending on the severity, medical treatment directed at the inflammatory condition for mild, diffuse enlargement to surgical debulking for extensive diffuse enlargement or tumor formation can improve the signs and symptoms of otophyma.
Full Answer
What is the best treatment for rhinophyma?
Surgery is the most common treatment of rhinophyma. Enlarged blood vessels and tissue overgrowth can cause disfigurement. This can be permanent if the affected area isn't removed. Surgery is the preferred treatment for most cases.
What is otophyma?
Otophyma is the term used for sebaceous gland hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the ear. It is usually the end stage of rosacea—a common, chronic, cutaneous disorder of unknown etiology.
What causes thick skin on nose?
After years of chronic inflammation in the skin, the sebaceous glands swell, causing the skin to have a thickened appearance. Most commonly, phyma occurs on the nose, which is called rhinophyma. “Initially, patients will start to see little lumps and bumps, smaller areas of thickening,” says Dr.
Can rosacea cause hearing loss?
Although it is a benign condition, there are significant morbidities associated with rosacea, and can even result in conductive deafness because of the obstruction of the external auditory canal.
What does rosacea look like on forehead?
The main symptoms and signs of rosacea include red or pink facial skin, small dilated blood vessels, small red bumps sometimes containing pus, cysts, and pink or irritated eyes. Many people who have rosacea may just assume they have very sensitive skin that blushes or flushes easily.
What is a Rhinophyma?
Rhinophyma is a skin disorder that causes the nose to enlarge and become red, bumpy, and bulbous. It is thought to result from untreated, severe rosacea, a chronic inflammatory skin condition that causes facial redness on the nose and cheeks.
Does rhinophyma come back after surgery?
Will the skin grow back? There is a possibility that even after the procedure rhinophyma can return. The best way to prevent rhinophyma is to speak with a dermatologist and develop a good treatment regimen to treat rosacea.
Can you reverse skin thickening?
It is not possible to reverse thinning of the skin. However, moisturizing the skin can make it more flexible and less likely to break. Anything that makes the skin red or sore is likely to be damaging it. A person with thin skin might need to protect it from damage.
How can I stop my skin from thickening?
Lichenification is when your skin becomes thick and leathery....Over-the-counter (OTC) treatmentscorticosteroid creams, such as Cortizone 10.anti-itch creams.antihistamines like Benadryl.soothing moisturizers.camphor and menthol topical creams, such as Men-Phor and Sarna.
Is laser treatment good for rosacea?
Laser treatments are a good alternative to the medications doctors usually prescribe for rosacea. In one study, 50% of participants had improved symptoms after going through YAG laser treatment. Another study showed how pulsed-dye laser therapy for rosacea was “worthwhile” for all the study's participants.
How serious is rosacea?
Rosacea is a serious medical condition that is often underdiagnosed and undertreated but can cause considerable distress, impact daily function, and disrupt social relationships—in other words, rosacea can clearly diminish a patient's quality of life. Current treatments are effective, but only to a point.
Can rosacea be fatal?
Rosacea is not a life threatening condition, but the physical symptoms associated with the disorder can be uncomfortable and embarrassing. Also, if left untreated, it may cause permanent scarring of the skin.
Can thick nose skin be thinned?
Thick skin can be made thinner by adding more projection to the nose (the way the lining of a balloon thins as it is inflated) or by carefully removing fat from underneath the skin. Thin skin allows a more refined nasal tip.
How do I know if I have thick skin on my nose?
One of the simplest ways of determining if you have thick of thin skin on your nose is to look in the mirror and see if the edges of your nasal tip cartilages show through the skin. If you can see the edges then your skin is thinner. If you can't then it is thicker.
What causes thickening of the skin on the face?
Scleroderma is an uncommon condition that results in hard, thickened areas of skin and sometimes problems with internal organs and blood vessels. Scleroderma is caused by the immune system attacking the connective tissue under the skin and around internal organs and blood vessels.
How do you get rid of rosacea thick skin?
Surgery. When thickened skin needs to be removed, your dermatologist may refer you to a dermatologic surgeon. Surgery to remove phyma is complex. It often requires using different surgical procedures to remove the excess skin and reshape the nose or other area of your face.
Abstract
Otophyma is the term used for sebaceous gland hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the ear. It is usually the end stage of rosacea—a common, chronic, cutaneous disorder of unknown etiology. We hereby present a rare case of otophyma with its clinical features, its etiology, diagnosis, and review of medical and surgical therapy.
1. Case report
A 50-year–old woman presented with swelling of the left pinna for the last 15 years in our outpatient department. The swelling was initially the size of a pea, when she received a series of corticosteroid injections, and was considered as keloid by the general physician.
2. Discussion
Phyma, derived from the Greek word meaning growth, is a disfiguring disorder of the face and is the end stage of rosacea [1]. It is caused by sebaceous gland hyperplasia and hypertrophy and surrounding fibrous tissue proliferation.
Abstract
Otophyma is a rare condition that can result in conductive hearing loss. Current otophyma literature does not examine validated treatment outcomes for patients. Utilizing a medical and surgical approach to maintain a patent canal can lead to significant objective improvements.
Introduction
Otophyma is a poorly referenced condition, associated with other phymatous changes of rosacea (see Table 1 for literature review). We present 3 otophyma cases with associated hearing abnormalities, rosacea, and rhinophyma, to describe a combined surgical and medical management approach.
Case Reports
A male in his 40s presented to dermatology with a 20+ year history of bilateral ear phymatous changes complicated by progressive hearing loss ( Figure 1 ).
Discussion
Otophyma describes unilateral or bilateral ear enlargement characterized by fibrosis, sebaceous hyperplasia, and edema. 1 These phymatous changes occur in the outer third of the external auditory canal (EAC) where the sebaceous glands reside.
