Objective To evaluate the curative effect of the lateral nasal artery pedicled nasolabial flap for reconstruction of nasal defects. Methods From August 2005 to March 2009, 12 cases of large nasal tip and alar defects were repaired with the lateral nasal artery pedicled nasolabial flap. There were 5 male patients and 7 female patients with a mean ageof 48.6 years (range, 35-60 years). Five cases of nasal defects were caused by trauma and other defects were caused by excision of carcinoma or hemangioma; the courses of disease were 1 to 10 years and 3 months to 40 years, respectively. The nasal defect size ranged from 2.0 cm × 1.5 cm to 4.5 cm × 2.5 cm. All defects were reconstructed with lateral nasal artery pedicled nasolabial flap in 9 cases and with island flap in 3 cases. The flap size ranged from 2.5 cm × 2.0 cm to 7.0 cm × 3.0 cm. Five patients required cartilage grafts for alar rim support and the distal end of the nasolabial flap was thinned and folded to repair the nasal l ining. The donor sites were sutured directly. Results The mild venous stasis at the distal end of three island flaps occurred at 5-24 hours postoperatively and alleviated spontaneously. All flaps survived. Incision at donor and accepted sites healed by first intention. Flap revision was performed in 5 cases after 6-15 months because of mild swell ing at the pedicles of skin flaps. All patients were followed up 8-24 months, with an average of 13 months. All patients achieved satisfactory results in nasal appearance, flap texture and color, and ventilatory function. No obvious scar was found at donor sites. Conclusion The nasolabial flap is an excellent choice for reconstruction of defects of nasal tip and ala.
Objective To investigate the variation of supratrochlear vein and its relationship with supratrochlear artery and to provide anatomical basis for the reduction of congestive necrosis of paramedian forehead flap in the reconstruction of nasal defect. Methods Twenty sides of 10 antiseptic head specimens were anatomized macroscopically and microscopically. Using the horizontal and anterior median l ine of supraorbital rim as X and Y axis to locate supratrochlear vein and artery, the angles between the supratrochlear artery and vein and the supraorbital rim were detected, and the distances from the supratrochlear artery and vein to the anterior median l ine on the horizontal l ine of supraorbital rim were measured. Results The distance from the supratrochlear artery and supratrochlear vein to the anterior median l ine on thehorizontal l ine of the supraorbital rim was (16.2 ± 2.1) mm and (9.7 ± 3.1) mm, respectively, indicating there was a significant difference (P lt; 0.05). The angle between the supratrochlear vein and artery and the supraorbital rim was (83.3 ± 6.4)° and (80.5 ± 4.2)°, respectively, indicating there was no significant difference (P gt; 0.05). Two asymmetric supratrochlear veins were observed around the area of anterior median l ine in every specimen, one was far from the anterior median l ine (group A) and the other was close to or even on the l ine (group B). The distance from the supratrochlear veins to the anterior median l ine on the horizontal l ine of the supraorbital rim was (11.0 ± 1.9) mm in group A and (7.9 ± 3.2) mm in group B, showing there was a significant difference between two groups (P lt; 0.05). For all the specimens, the supratrochlear vein ran laterally along the medial anterior median l ine of the supratrochlear artery (one side was just on the anterior median l ine). The distance from the supratrochlear veins to the supratrochlear arteries on the horizontal l ine of the supraorbital rim was (6.6 ± 3.2) mm, (5.5 ± 2.0) mm in group A and (7.9 ± 3.9) mm in group B, indicating the difference between two groups was significant (P lt; 0.05). Conclusion The pedicle of the paramedian forehead flap should be wide enough (1.5-2.0 cm), the lateral boundary of the pedicle should be the supratrochlear artery while the medial boundary should be the supratrochlear vein.