• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.75-81
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• 2014

Background: The fibular free flap has been used as the standard methods of segmental mandibular reconstruction. The objective of mandibular reconstruction not only includes restored continuity of the mandible but also the recovery of optimal function. This paper emphasizes the advantage of the fibular free flap reconstruction over that of locking mandibular reconstruction plate fixation. Methods: The hospital charts of all patients (n=20) who had a mandibular reconstruction between 1994 and 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Eight patients had plateonly fixation of the mandible, and the remaining 12 had vascularized fibular free flap reconstruction. Complications and outcomes were reviewed and compared between the 2 groups via statistical analysis. Results: Overall complication rates were significantly lower in the fibular flap group (8.3%) than in the plate fixation group (87.5%; p =0.001). Most (7/8) patients in the plate fixation group had experienced plate-related late complications, including plate fracture or exposure. In the fibular flap group, no complications were observed, except for a single case of donor-site wound dehiscence (1/12). Conclusion: The fibular free flap provides a more stable support and additional soft tissue support for the plate, thereby minimizing the risk of plate-related complications. Fibular free flap is the most reliable option for mandibular reconstruction, and we believe that the flap should be performed primarily whenever possible.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.156-160
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• 2020

Background: We have reported orbital wall restoration surgery with primary orbital wall fragment in pure blowout fractures using a combination of transorbital and transnasal approach in pure blow out fractures. However, this method was thought to be difficult to use for complex orbital wall fractures, since the sharp screw tip that fixate the maxillary wall increases the risk of balloon ruptures. In this study, we reviewed 23 cases of complex orbital fractures that underwent orbital wall restoration surgery with primary orbital wall fragment and evaluated the result. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of 23 patients with complex orbital fracture who underwent orbital restoration surgery with primary orbital wall fragments between 2012 and 2019. The patients underwent orbital wall restoration surgery with primary orbital wall fragment with temporary balloon support. The surgical results were evaluated by the Naugle scale and a comparison of preoperative and postoperative orbital volume ratio. Complex fracture type, type of screw used for fixation and complications such as balloon rupture were also investigated. Results: There were 23 patients with complex orbital fracture that used transnasal balloon technique for restoration. 17 cases had a successful outcome with no complications, three patients had postoperative balloon rupture, two patients had soft-tissue infection, and one patient had balloon malposition. Conclusion: The orbital wall restoration technique with temporary balloon support can produce favorable results when done correctly even in complex orbital wall fracture. Seventeen cases had favorable results, six cases had postoperative complications thus additional procedure seems necessary to complement this method.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.43-47
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• 2011

Purpose: Romberg's disease manifests as progressive hemifacial atrophy of the skin, soft tissue and bone, which usually begins in the first or second decade of life. When present, atrophy may originate from the cutaneous stigmata and may become so sharply delimited by the midline. Methods: A 10-year-old girl, who had suffered from right mandibular area atrophy for 3 years, visited us and was diagnosed with Romberg's disease. The depressed lesion of the face was augmented successfully using a deepithelialized groin free flap. The superficial circumflex iliac vessels were used as the donor pedicle and the facial artery and vein were used as the recipient vessels. Results: After surgery, the flap survived well and she was satisfied with the result. Although there are various methods of facial augmentation using free flaps, this flap has some advantages. First, there is a considerable amount of fat tissue components for augmentation. Second, flap elevation with thinning is possible. Third, the donor site can be hidden. Conclusion: The groin dermo-fat free flap is a good method for the facial augmentation of Romberg's disease.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.28-32
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• 2011

Purpose: A cranioremodeling helmet for correcting plagiocephaly was recently developed. However, no discrete objective methods to evaluate how the deformity is being corrected have been developed. We have established an easy and cost-effective method that can be used not only to show the correction process, but can also be used by physicians to assess the degree of plagiocephaly two-dimensionally. Methods: For two-dimensional evaluation, a length of malleable memory wire (2 mm in diameter) resembling "Sun-Wukong's headband" was placed on the patient's head. The wire around the patient's head was positioned on a plane including points 1 cm above the eyebrow and 1 cm above the auricle. The wire was placed on a sheet of paper and the outline was marked using pens of various colors during each visit. The degree of plagiocephaly correction could then be shown to the patient's parents at every consultation. Results: The method established by the present study easily shows the horizontal cross-section transformation of the head, illustrates plagiocephaly correction by the helmet, and shows the degree of correction in a two-dimensional manner. Conclusion: A soft-shell helmet is widely used for correcting plagiocephaly. However, evaluating the effectiveness of the helmet has been determined in a subjective manner, and a more objective method is now in demanded. Our study found that a "Sun-Wukong's headband" wire can accurately measure two-dimensional changes. Future studies will be required to identify landmarks needed for assessing plagiocephaly correction.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.69-72
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• 2013

Lateral eyebrow mass with primary skull lesion are rare in pediatric population. Although epidermoid cyst and dermoid cyst are the most commonly encountered skull lesions in pediatric population, Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is rarely reported. We report a case of LCH arising from the lateral eyebrow with osteolytic lesion involving the frontal bone. A 5-year-old boy was presented with a hard, fixed mass in his lateral eyebrow. Contrast magnetic resonance imaging revealed inhomogeneous enhancement of the mass with direct invasion of the frontal bone and adjacent dura mater. Under general anesthesia, linear incision at the lateral eyebrow region was made. Intraoperative evaluation revealed hard, fixed and well-defined soft tissue mass. The final extirpated mass was $2.5{\times}2.4cm$ in size, and was accompanied by a $1{\times}1cm$ sized defect on the frontal bone with intact dura mater. The surgical wound was closed primarily by a layer-by-layer fashion. Histologic examination was later performed for definite diagnosis. The histologic examination revealed abnormal proliferation of Langerhans cell with granuloma formation. Radionuclide bone scan and positron emission tomography was taken and revealed free of multi-organ involvement. At 3 months after surgery, natural looking contour at the lateral eyebrow region was observed with no tumor recurrence. Differential diagnosis of the hard and fixed mass at the lateral eyebrow region affecting the primary skull lesion from pediatric population includes epidermoid cyst, dermoid cyst and LCH. Generally, brief physical examination with plain X-ray view can be performed for clinical evaluation, but for a definite diagnosis, contrast MRI may be helpful.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.61-64
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• 2013

Schwannomas are well-differentiated solitary benign tumors that originate from the schwann cells of the nerve sheath. They can readily occur in the head and neck regions, but the schwannoma originating from the infraorbital nerve is extremely rare and usually painless, slow-growing, and without specific symptoms. The author experienced a rare case of infraorbital schwannoma, which was completely removed through the intraoral approach. A 20-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for a painless, solid and circular mass located on the right infraorbital region. The eyeball movement and visual field were normal. There was no globe displacement or proptosis. Preoperative computed tomography demonstrated $13{\times}10{\times}5mm$-sized soft tissue mass. On March 2011, the mass was removed through an intraoral approach. On histopathological examination, the gross specimen consisted of a smooth, well-encapsulated and light yellowish solid mass, measuring $12{\times}7{\times}5mm$. Microscopically, it presented a typical manifestation of schwannoma with Antoni A area with Verocay body, and Antoni B area on H&E stain. The result of the immunohistochemical staining was positive for the S-100 protein. The patient had hypoesthesia of the nasal septum and vestibule in the postoperative period, and this finding confirmed that the internal nasal branch of infraorbital nerve was the nerve in which the schwannoma originated. Infraorbital schwannomas are very rare and must be included in the differential diagnosis of the orbital masses inferior to the eyeball. In the case of early diagnosis, the small-sized infraorbital schwannomas can be completely removed without any scar through an intraoral approach.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.30-35
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• 2013

Background: For reconstruction of the mild to moderate medial orbital wall fractures, various surgical approaches have been used. Prior existing W-shaped incision was a direct local approach through a 3 cm incision on the superior medial orbital area with a titanium mesh implant. In this study, the authors modified W-shaped incision and reconstructed the defect with silastic sheet to improve the result and the postoperative scar. Methods: This study included 20 patients who had mild to moderate size of medial wall defect and therefore relatively suitable for reconstruction with silastic sheets from July, 2009 to December, 2011. A modified W-shaped skin incision approximately 1.2 to 1.5 cm in length was made along the superior medial orbital rim from approximately 1 cm medial to the medial canthus to the lower border of the medial eyebrow. The angles of the limbs of the W ranged from 150 to 160 degrees. Results: By using soft flexible silastic sheet, the authors reduced the incision from 3 to 1.5 cm, and by widening the angle of the W limbs, scars were more effectively hided in the relaxed skin tension line. Scar assessment was done with modified patient and observer scar assessment scale and mean score from patients was 2.08 and mean score from observers was 2.12. Conclusion: Although this method will not be suitable for every case, it can be a consistent method to obtain the surgical goal in treatment of mild to moderate blowout fractures of the medial orbital wall.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.297-303
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• 2019

Background: Absorbable plates are widely used in open reduction and internal fixation surgeries for facial bone fractures. Absorbable plates are made of polyglycolic acid (PGA), polylactic acid (PLA), polydioxane (PDS), or various combinations of these polymers. The degradation patterns of absorbable plates made from different polymers and clinical courses of patients treated with such plates have not been fully identified. This study aimed to confirm the clinical courses of facial bone fracture patients using absorbable plates and compare the degradation patterns of the plates. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted for 47 cases in 46 patients who underwent open reduction and internal fixation surgery using absorbable plates to repair facial bone fractures. All surgeries used either PLA/PGA composite-based or poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA)/hydroxyapatite (HA) composite-based absorbable plates and screws. Clinical courses were confirmed and comparisons were conducted based on direct observation. Results: There were no naturally occurring foreign body reactions. Post-traumatic inflammatory responses occurred in eight patients (nine cases), in which six recovered naturally with conservative treatment. The absorbable plates were removed from two patients. PLA/PGA compositebased absorbable plates degraded into fragments with non-uniform, sharp surfaces whereas PLLA/HA composite-based absorbable plates degraded into a soft powder. Conclusion: PLA/PGA composite-based and PLLA/HA composite-based absorbable plates showed no naturally occurring foreign body reactions and showed different degradation patterns. The absorbable plate used for facial bone fracture surgery needs to be selected in consideration of its degradation patterns.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.304-308
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• 2018

Replantation using microvascular anastomosis is considered to be the optimal method in treating the amputated ear in terms of resulting color, texture, and shape. Only a few cases of ear replantation have been reported because it is anatomically difficult to identify suitable vessels for anastomosis. We successfully replanted the amputated helical rim of the ear using single arterial anastomosis. A 37-year-old man had his helical rim amputated by a human bite. The amputee was about $4{\times}1cm$ in dimension, composed of skin and soft tissue including auricular cartilage. Replantation was performed anastomosing a small artery of the amputee with a terminal branch of the posterior auricular artery. After replantation, intravenous heparinization was performed and prostaglandin E1 and aspirin were administered. Venous congestion was decompressed by stab incisions applied with heparin solution soaked gauze. Venous congestion of the amputee slowly began to resolve at 4 days after the operation. The amputated segment of the helical rim survived completely with good aesthetic shape and color. The authors propose that performing microvascular anastomosis should be attempted especially if it is possible to detect vessels on cut surfaces of ear amputee and stump. Proper postoperative care for venous congestion, arterial insufficiency, and infection should be followed for amputee survival.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.37-40
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• 2023

Penetrating wounds to the face are cosmetically devastating and can be life-threatening. If the foreign body causing the penetrating wound is a piece of wood, small remnants might be left behind after the initial treatment. A 33-year-old male patient presented to the emergency center after a piece of lumber pierced his face as a passenger in a traffic accident. The patient's vital signs were stable, and emergency surgery was performed to remove the foreign body and repair the soft tissue. No noteworthy complications were seen after open reduction and internal fixation of the facial bone fractures. Seven months after the accident, the patient underwent scar revision along with full-thickness skin grafting for post-traumatic scars. After the surgery, pus-like discharge which was not previously present was observed, and the graft did not take well. A residual foreign body, which was the cause of graft failure, was found on computed tomography and the remaining foreign body was removed through revision surgery. The patient is receiving outpatient follow-up without any complications 6 months after surgery. This case demonstrates the importance of performing a careful evaluation to avoid missing a residual foreign body, especially if it is of wooden nature.