What Is Metophyma?
Phymatous rosacea is thickened skin with irregular surface nodularities and enlarged pores. These are most commonly seen on the nose (rhinophyma) but can occur on the ears (otophyoma), chin (gnatophyoma), and forehead (metophyma). Metophyma appears as cushion-like swelling on the forehead above the saddle of the nose. Phymatous rosacea is a rare form of rosacea that causes not only red skin but also causes growth of excess skin tissue that results in misconfiguration of the facial features by excess tissue build-up. This type of rosacea is assumed as the last stage of rosacea and is usually more severe. The management of symptoms at home is not enough to treat phymatous rosacea. Phymatous rosacea is a complicated and confusing skin condition that needs surgical or laser treatment to restore the skin to a healthy state.
What Causes Metophyma?
The cause of metophyma remains unknown, like the other forms of rosacea. However, inflammation is the root of the skin condition. It is believed that in metophyma, the size of the sebaceous glands increases due to inflammation, the amount of connective tissue, and collagen in the skin. Also, believe that alcohol consumption causes rhinophyma. However, that is not the case. Alcohol can act as a trigger factor for the appearance of the symptoms, as it can for other forms of rosacea. An observational study on phymatous rosacea found that excessive alcohol consumption worsens the rosacea. Moreover, there has not been a cause-and-effect association between alcohol and metophyma. The stigma that someone with metophyma is an alcoholic or drinks excessively only further contributes to the negative consequences on mental, emotional, and social well-being.
What Are the Symptoms of Metophyma?
Phymatous rosacea is subtype three rosacea, which causes excess skin tissue growth resulting in thickening skin and irregular surface nodularities with enlargement. This form of rosacea generally affects the nose (rhinophyma), but it can also cause symptoms on the chin (gnathophyma), forehead and cheeks (metophyma), ears (otophyma), and eyelids (blepharophyma). Metophyma is the development of a red, enlarged, bumpy, and bulbous thickening of the skin on the forehead and cheeks. Depending on the spread and enlargement of the nodules on the forehead, metophyma caused by phymatous rosacea can lead to a badly appearing face. Unlike other forms of rosacea, with phymatous rosacea, the skin appears red and has a normal skin tone, even yellow and waxy. Men are at risk of developing phymatous rosacea that leads to metophyma.
Subtype 3 rosacea can cause a skin condition that can greatly impact the patient’s mental and emotional health. Patients experiencing psychological distress due to phymatous rosacea should not hesitate to seek help. Consulting a licensed therapist or counselor can help with the emotional difficulties. Though this form of rosacea is uncommon, help is available.
How to Treat Metophyma?
A dermatologist consultation is required to treat metophyma. It requires more than at-home treatment. Reversing the damage that has already been done is difficult, so slowing the progression of the disease should be done. The treatment can include the following-
Oral Medications: Oral medications are not the most effective method of treating metophyma. If the condition is diagnosed in its early stages, then the dermatologist can prescribe an oral antibiotic to lower inflammation in the body, and the drug is Isotretinoin. Isotretinoin antibiotic is helpful in some patients with their beginning stages of metophyma, as it can shrink the sebaceous (oil) glands. Nonetheless, Isotretinoin can only prevent metophyma from worsening. It is not used to reverse the damage that has already been caused. However, the medication is useful only during its intake. Its beneficial effects will stop when it is discontinued. As these drugs can not reverse pre-existing damage to the skin, surgery is often the best treatment option for metophyma.
Surgery: Surgery is believed to be the best treatment option for metophyma for long-term success. There are multiple options to prefer when it comes to surgery to remove thickened skin. The surgery types include-
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Dermabrasion: The surgery uses a rotating tool to remove the top layer of the skin. Dermabrasion technique is used only on the surface level. Hence it is typically used in concurrence with other treatment methods.
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Carbon Dioxide Laser: This treatment is quite a successful treatment method for metophyma. Patients respond well to this treatment and have minimal remnant following treatment.
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Scalpel Excision: This treatment involves using a blade to remove the excess skin tissue manually. Generally, the patient is given local anesthesia for this procedure. Being sure of the severity of tissue growth, a dermatologist may call for various treatments to remove the excess skin growth.
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Electrosurgery: This surgery uses a high-frequency current to peel off the excess skin and also involves administering local anesthesia. Like with scalpel excision, the dermatologist can opt for a series of treatments to remove excess tissue, which is very effective.
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Cryosurgery: This technique freezes the excess tissue using extremely cold temperatures. This is a short and simple treatment with slight pain for the patient. However, this method provides less control over the depth of the skin tissue removal.
Skincare:
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Apply rosacea-friendly sunscreen every day. Generally, patients with rosacea should look for a sunscreen with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide and avoid sunscreens with chemicals like octisalate, avobenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, octinoxate, and fragrances.
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Apply a gentle, hypoallergenic moisturizer. Rosacea patients usually have very sensitive skin. That is why selecting a gentle sunscreen and moisturizer can help prevent further skin irritation. The moisturizers should not contain brutal additives like sulfates, parabens, fragrances, alcohol, and preservatives.
Bypassing Triggers-
Metophyma stimuli can increase the blood flow to the skin and worsen rosacea manifestation. Avoiding these triggers can help improve redness. To minimize bursts, avoid
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Hot drinks.
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Spicy foodstuffs.
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Caffeine.
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Alcohol.
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Emotional stress.
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Anxiety.
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Extreme temperatures (hot or cold).
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Exposure to sunlight.
Decreasing exposure to these trigger factors will not impact the size and shape of metophyma, but it can improve the coloration of your skin.
Conclusion
Metophyma, though unusual, can impair facial features. Therefore, its consequences can be greater on the quality of life than on the skin. Metophyma cannot be treated orally but surgically. Avoiding trigger factors and exposure to direct sunlight can prevent further disease worsening. A consultation with a dermatologist for early diagnosis and treatment is essential.
