NASALIS MUSCLE FLAP FOR RECONSTRUCTION OF THE NASAL TIP

Abstract

A 77-year-old female patient submitted to excision of a basal cell carcinoma, resulting in an oval shaped defect with 20x25mm in diameter and exposure of the medial portions of alar cartilages. The reconstruction was perfor- med with transposition of muscle flaps from nasalis muscle in order to obtain a suitable vascular bed for a full-thickness skin graft harvested from a glabelar fold. The final result was cosmetically acceptable.

Nasalis muscle flap associated with a full-thickness skin graft allows a single step reconstruction of nasal tip when exposure of cartilage without pericondrium occurs. Muscle flaps offer a better vascular supply for the skin graft, being a good alternative to local flaps or interpolated flaps, with a simpler surgical technique and achieving acceptable cos- metic results.

KEYWORDS – Nose; Pele; Rhinoplasty; Surgical Flaps.