Usefulness of Bipedicle Temporalis-pericranial Flap for Closure of Frontoethmoidal Encephalomeningoceles

Yun, Byung Min

Abstract

PURPOSE
To close anterior cranial base, various types of pedicle flaps have been developed previously. However, the results of those pedicle flaps were not constant. To solve such problem, the author designed bipedicle temporalis- pericranial(BTP) flap based on various types of existing flaps and this study intends to introduce this flap and present clinical application case.
METHODS
The pedicle of the proposed temporalis- pericranial flap is temporalis muscle. The point of this BTP flap is that because of both sides of the unilateral temporalis- pericranial flap are connected by midline pericranial tissue connected with dense vascular network communicate one another locally, that BTP flap can be safely elevated. The case is a 14 months old male patient of frontoethmoidal encephalomeningocele. Surgery was done in a way that after elevating BTP flap and removing encephalomeningocele, BTP flap was moved intracranially, and to prevent cerebrospinal fluid leakage, anterior cranial base was closed.
RESULTS
During 1 year and 6 month outpatient tracking observation, no particular finding like CSF leakage, meningitis or hydrocephalus was observed.
CONCLUSION
The benchmarked BTP flap, effective in the treatment of frontoethmoidal encephalomeningocele, is one of the methods to close intracranium and extracranium.