Use of Supra-eyebrow Skin as a Frontalis Myocutaneous Flap to Reconstruct Temporal Skin Defect and Treat Facial Nerve Palsy: A Report of Two Cases

Abstract

Skin cancer prominently develops on the face, and local flaps are frequently used for reconstruction because of their similar color and texture. We report two cases of temporal skin defects after skin tumor resection that were successfully covered by transferring supra-eyebrow skin using the frontalis muscle as its pedicle. These two patients underwent a single reconstruction surgery for the skin defect following malignant tumor resection and eyebrow ptosis due to facial nerve palsy. The myocutaneous flap was raised using a rich subcutaneous vascular network in the frontal region, which provided a stable blood supply. As this flap can effectively reconstruct the temporal region in patients with facial nerve palsy, we propose the application of this technique for temporal area reconstruction in patients with facial nerve palsy.

Keywords

• frontalis myocutaneous flap
• temporal skin defect
• eyebrow ptosis
• facial nerve palsy