Good cosmetic outcomes are possible using fractional ablative carbon dioxide (CO2) laser therapy for mild-to-moderate cases of rhinophyma (a condition characterized by prominent pores and a fibrous thickening of the nose, sometimes associated with the common skin condition rosacea), according to researchers at the University of California-Irvine.
Related: Fractional ablative lasers minimize burn severity
Kathryn L. Serowka, MD, and colleagues reported treatment of mild-to-moderate rhinophyma in five patients using aggressive parameters with fractional ablative CO2 laser therapy (the laser used for the treatment was the Fraxel re:Pair from Solta Medical [Hayward, CA]). They found that all of the patients, who had relatively mild-to-moderate signs of rhinophyma, tolerated the laser treatment well (settings of up to 70 mJ, 70% density, and 16-18 passes). Reepithelialization and self-limited edema and erythema occurred at four to seven days. No adverse events were reported. Patients and physicians observed improved appearance without the typical scarring caused by most other treatments.
"We were able to demonstrate good improvement in texture, color, and size of mild-to-moderate rhinophyma treated with ablative fractionated carbon dioxide laser," the authors say.
Full details have been published online in the journal Lasers in Surgery and Medicine; for more information, please visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/lsm.22184/full.