CO2 laser vaporization for treatment of rhinophyma.

Rhinophyma is the end stage of acne rosacea, which results in a large nose due to a proliferation of sebaceous glands and fibrous tissue. In some patients, this disorder is a cosmetic problem. Use of the CO2 laser in the defocused mode to vaporize skin in a bloodless fashion is an effective treatment of rhinophyma, as demonstrated in three patients described in this report.