Korean J Dermatol.  2009 Oct;47(10):1186-1189.

Postauricular Island Pedicle Flap ("Flip-Flop" Flap) for Reconstruction of the External Ear Defect

• Suh SW
• Kim SH
• Ko HC
• Kim MB
• Kwon KS
• Oh CK
• Jung DS

Abstract

About six percent of head and neck cancers occur on the external ears. Excision of the cancer can cause changes of morphology and poor cosmesis. Reconstruction of ear defects presents a unique and notable challenge to the dermatologic surgeons. This is due to the complex architecture of the external ear which is difficult to duplicate surgically. Several methods are available for reconstruction of defects to the external ear. However, the diversity of external ear shapes shows how difficult it is to achieve a certain solution to this problem. Postauricular island pedicle flap was initially reported as a technique for reconstruction of small defects of the concha after excision, and has since been used successfully in the repair of more extensive defects involving not only the concha, but also the antihelix and external auditory meatus. We report two cases of auricular squamous cell carcinoma in which the skin defect is reconstructed by a postauricular island pedicle flap ("flip-flop" flap).

Keyword

External ear defect; Flip-flop flap; Postauricular island pedicle flap

MeSH Terms

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
Ear
Ear, External
Head
Neck
Skin