Definition

Noun: A progressive skin disorder of the nose, characterized by its enlargement, redness, prominent blood vessels, and bumpy texture due to the hypertrophy of sebaceous glands and underlying connective tissue. It is considered a severe, late-stage manifestation of rosacea.

Usage and Examples

• The dermatologist diagnosed the patient's severe facial redness and nasal swelling as rhinophyma.
• Rhinophyma can cause significant cosmetic concerns and, in advanced cases, may even obstruct breathing.
• Treatment for rhinophyma often involves surgical procedures to reshape the nose and remove excess tissue.

Advanced Usage and Context

• Clinical Context: In medical terminology, rhinophyma is frequently described as a "phymatous" change, indicating a growth or swelling of the skin. It is sometimes colloquially referred to as "bulbous nose" or "drinker's nose," though the latter term is misleading as the condition's primary cause is rosacea, not alcohol consumption.
• Associated Condition: The term is almost exclusively used in the context of discussing subtypes or complications of rosacea. For example: "The patient presented with ocular rosacea and early signs of rhinophyma."

Variants and Related Words

• Rosacea (n): The chronic inflammatory skin condition of which rhinophyma is a potential subtype.
• Phyma (n): A medical term for a skin swelling or growth; rhinophyma is a specific type affecting the nose (from Greek , meaning "nose").
• Hypertrophy (n): The enlargement of an organ or tissue from the increase in size of its cells, which describes the physiological process in rhinophyma.

Synonyms

• Bulbous nose (colloquial, descriptive)
• Phymatous rosacea (clinical)
• (Note: "Drinker's nose" is an outdated and inaccurate synonym based on historical misconception.)

Notes on Meaning

The core meaning of rhinophyma is a specific medical condition involving disfiguring nasal enlargement. While historically and colloquially associated with alcoholism, modern medical understanding emphasizes its primary link to the inflammatory skin disease rosacea. Alcohol may act as a trigger that worsens rosacea symptoms but is not the root cause of rhinophyma.

Noun

1. enlargement of the nose with dilation of follicles and redness and prominent vascularity of the skin; often associated with excessive consumption of alcohol