Pre-auricular and ascending helical free composite flap in reconstructing an alar defect resulting from a human bite: a case report.

Abstract

Full-thickness defects of the nose result in severe aesthetic and functional problems. Nasal alar defects are frequently caused by trauma, surgical resection or congenital deformities, yet an alar defect due to a human bite is quite rarely seen. For a successful alar reconstruction, selected tissue must be similar to nasal structures in texture, color and thickness. The structural similarities between the nasal alae and auricular helices have allowed the use of free helical composite flaps for the repair of nasal defects. In this article, we report a 36-year-old male patient who had a right alar defect caused by a human bite. The defect was successfully reconstructed with a reverse flow superficial temporal vessel based pre-auricular and ascending helical free composite flap. Since the color and the texture of the flap was compatible with the nose integuments, this flap enjoyed of an optimal integration in the central facial area.