Utility of the Glabellar Flap in the Reconstruction of Medial Canthal Tumors after Mohs Surgery

Abstract

The goals of periorbital region reconstruction are to obtain both functional and esthetic results. Medial canthus is the second most common periorbital location for basal cell carcinoma. If left untreated, it is locally destructive but rarely metastasizes. Incompletely resected medial canthal tumors recur or penetrate along the lacrimal path and expand to wider lesions. A safety margin is necessary to ensure a complete lesion resection. Since it was introduced in 1941, Mohs surgery has been promoted as an efficient method of dealing with infiltrative periorbital skin tumors. It has been shown to have high rates of complete cancer removal during surgery, minimizing the amount of normal tissue loss and securing better functional and cosmetic outcomes. Due to its concave contour and convergence of skin units with variable thickness, texture and mobility, reconstruction of the medial canthal region (MCR) remains challenging. Reconstructive methods such as free full-thickness skin grafts and glabellar flaps have been used alone or in combination with other techniques. The concavity of the canthus must be achieved, but the maintenance of the normal contour and symmetry of the surrounding tissue is critical. The glabellar flap (GF) is a triangular advancement flap that adequately restores the volume in deeper defects, guaranteeing sufficient vascular support without complex or undesirable scars. We present two cases of basal cell carcinoma affecting the MCR that was successfully reconstructed using a GF alone in one case and together with a cheek advancement flap in the second one. In both cases, tumor excision was performed using Mohs surgery.

Keywords

• basal cell carcinoma
• glabellar flap
• medial canthus
• mohs surgery