Fractionated carbon dioxide laser therapy as treatment of mild rhinophyma: report of three cases

Rhinophyma is a bothersome condition of the nose that is regarded as a manifestation of rosacea (subtype 3). Whereas the efficacy of medical treatments, including antibiotics and retinoids, is often dissatisfying, conventional invasive procedures are limited by their unfavorable side effect profile. We present three patients who were treated by a minimally invasive approach using fractionated carbon dioxide (CO2) laser therapy, showing variable response. We observed that fractionated CO2 laser therapy may improve patient-reported outcome in some patients with mild rhinophyma and is associated with a relatively favorable side effect profile compared with conventional surgical techniques