rhinophyma

medical condition

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Related Topics:: skin disease; nose

See all related content

rhinophyma, extensive overgrowth of the lower part of the nose. The sebaceous (oil-producing) glands seem to be the site of origin. Growth is characteristic of a nodular, or many-lobed, mass. There is overgrowth of the glands, expansion of the ducts, an extensive blood supply, inflammatory fluids, and a progressive replacement of the degenerated tissue with fibrous scar tissue. The mass is benign but sometimes large and disfiguring.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kara Rogers.