• 대한두개안면성형외과학회지
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• 제22권5호
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• pp.268-275
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• 2021

Background: The study aimed to evaluate nasal reconstruction techniques customized for Asians. The currently available nasal reconstruction guidelines are based on Caucasian patients, and their applicability is limited in Asian patients due to differences in anatomical and structural features. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed of the medical records of 76 patients who underwent nasal reconstruction at a single center between January 2010 and June 2020. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted of patients' baseline demographics and clinical characteristics, including age, sex, medical history, defect size and location, reconstructive procedure, pathological diagnosis, postoperative complications, and recurrence. Results: In 59 cases (77%), nasal defects resulted from tumor ablation, and the remaining 17 cases involved post-traumatic (20%) and infection-induced (3%) tissue damage. The most common defect location was the alae, followed by the sidewalls, tip, and dorsum. Forehead flaps were the most commonly used reconstructive technique, followed by nasolabial advancement flaps, rotation flaps, and skin grafts. Each procedure was applied considering aspects of structural anatomy and healing physiology specific to Asians. Complications included nasal deformity, hypertrophic scarring, secondary infection, and partial flap necrosis, but no cases required additional surgical procedures. Tumors recurred in two cases, but tumor recurrence did not significantly affect flap integrity. Conclusion: Nasal reconstruction techniques applied considering Asians' facial features resulted in fewer postoperative complications and higher patient satisfaction than the approaches that are currently in widespread use. Therefore, this study is expected to serve as an essential reference for establishing treatment guidelines for nasal reconstruction in Asians.

• 대한두개안면성형외과학회지
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• 제22권5호
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• pp.247-253
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• 2021

Background: Radiation therapy (RT) is frequently used for supportive treatment and management of advanced head and neck cancers. This study performed a retrospective review of the treatment methods that were used for intractable draining fistulas in seven patients who had received RT for head and neck cancers. Treatment methods used for two of the seven patients are presented in detail. Methods: From 2009 to 2020, seven patients underwent reconstructive surgery for intractable fistulas which occurred after RT for head and neck cancers. Patient characteristics, medical history, treatment method, and treatment outcome were reviewed for each case. The type of surgery performed, failure rate, and treatment period were also analyzed. Results: In this study, a total of seven patients received additional management for radiation-induced fistulas. Patients underwent a mean of 3.3±1.4 surgeries (maximum: six surgeries) to resolve their fistulas. The mean time interval from the first surgery to the last surgery for the patients to achieve resolution of the fistula was 8.7 months. Loco-regional flaps have performed an average of 1.9±1.5 times. However, all loco-regional flaps failed. Instead, the patients' intractable fistulas were resolved with the use of distant flaps or free tissue transfers. Conclusion: Fistulas that develop after head and neck cancer treatment following RT are difficult to treat with simple loco-regional flap procedures. Therefore, more aggressive treatment techniques, such as distant flap or free tissue transfer, may be needed to shorten patients' treatment periods and avoid unnecessary surgeries.

• 대한두개안면성형외과학회지
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.78-84
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• 2021

Background: Facial feminization surgery and malarplasty require information concerning facial features in the malar area. Such information varies as a function of sex and race. The objectives of this study aimed to quantitatively evaluate the location of malar prominence across sexes in the Southeast Asian population, and identify sex-specific differences in malar prominence using a combination of two-dimensional (2D) computed tomography (CT) and three-dimensional (3D) CT. Methods: The location of malar prominence was evaluated in 101 Thai adults, consisting of 52 men and 49 women. This study used both 2D CT and 3D CT to achieve greater accuracy, in which 2D CT was used to measure malar distance, malar summit width, facial width, and malar summitto-facial width ratio whereas 3D CT was used to evaluate the positional relationship between the zygomatic summit and four reference points of the zygoma. Results: The malar summit was positioned more laterally in males (p< 0.01) and was more projected in females (p= 0.01). The other 2D-parameters were wider in males. The ratio between the malar summit width and facial width showed similar results for both sexes. The vertical dimension did not show any statistically significant differences; however, a higher summit position was observed in males. Conclusion: The zygomatic summit is positioned more laterally in males and is more projected in females. However, the ratio was similar, which indicates that the male cranium is larger in size. Based on the results in this study, when facial feminization surgery or malarplasty is performed on a Southeast Asian patient, the malar bone should be reduced horizontally and moved forward for better outcomes.

• 대한두개안면성형외과학회지
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.17-23
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• 2019

Background: The resection of head and neck cancer can result in postoperative defect. Many patients have difficulty swallowing and masticating, and some have difficulty speaking. Various types of flaps are used for palatal reconstruction, but flap selection remains controversial. Therefore, our study will suggest which flap to choose during palatal reconstruction. Methods: Thirteen patients who underwent palatal reconstruction from 30 January, 1989 to 4 October, 2016 at our institution. Size was classified as small when the width was < $4cm^2$, medium when it was $4-6cm^2$, and large when it was ${\geq}6cm^2$. Based on speech evaluation, the subjects were divided into a normal group and an easily understood group. After surgery, we assessed whether flap selection was appropriate through the evaluation of flap success, complications, and speech evaluation. Results: Defect size ranged from $1.5{\times}2.0cm$ to $5.0{\times}6.0cm$. In four cases, the defect was in the anterior third of the palate, in eight cases it was in the middle, and there was one case of whole palatal defect. There were three small defects, two medium-sized defects, and eight large defects. Latissimus dorsi free flaps were used in six of the eight large defects in the study. Conclusion: The key to successful reconstructive surgery is appropriate selection of the flap with reference to the characteristics of the defect. Depending on the size and location of the defect, the profiles of different flaps should be matched with the recipient from the outset.

• 대한두개안면성형외과학회지
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.228-232
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• 2019

Background: The epidemiology of nasal fractures varies according to factors such as the era and area of the study, as well as the age of the patient. We compared the characteristics and causes of pediatric nasal fractures. Methods: A total of 2,321 patients with nasal fractures from 2010 to 2017 were examined. The patients were divided into age groups using the Korean school system of age classification. The causes of injury were divided into five groups: violence, fall or slip down, sports, road traffic accidents, and others. Fractures were classified using the Stranc and Robertson standard: vector of force and plane of fracture. Results: Violence was the most common cause of nasal fracture in patients older than 12 years. Violence was a significantly less frequent cause among patients younger than 12 years old than among adolescent and adult patients. Nasal fractures due to violence were not observed in patients younger than 10 years. Plane 2 and lateral force fractures were the most common; however, in patients younger than 12 years, frontal force fractures were significantly more frequent than were lateral force fractures. Conclusion: As children may simply be injured due to a fall or slip down, it is important for the parents and guardians to ensure their safety. As they become older, children should abstain from violence and be monitored. It is therefore very important to ensure that the environment is free of violence in order to prevent such injuries.

• 대한두개안면성형외과학회지
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• 제23권5호
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• pp.205-210
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• 2022

Background: Nasal bone fractures are the most common type of facial bone fracture, but are under-studied in adults above 65 years of age. Therefore, we investigated the epidemiology and patterns of nasal bone fractures among older adults in comparison to different age groups. Methods: This retrospective study included 2,321 nasal bone fracture patients who underwent surgery at our hospital from January 2010 to December 2017. The patients were classified by age as preschoolers, school-age children, young and middle-aged adults, and the elderly. We performed pairwise comparisons between elderly patients and each other age group in terms of sex, cause of injury, and fracture type. Results: The 2,321 nasal bone fracture patients included 76 elderly patients (50 men [65.8%] and 26 women [34.2%]). In these patients, the two most common injury causes were falling or slipping down (n= 39; 51.3%) and road traffic accidents (n= 19; 25.0%). According to the Stranc and Robertson classification, the most common force vector was lateral, and plane 2 fractures with lateral forces predominated. Conclusion: The elderly showed similar patterns of nasal bone fractures to those observed in young and middle-aged adults, but significant differences from preschoolers (in the injury vector and plane of fracture) and from school-age children (in the sex ratio and plane of fracture). However, elderly patients presented significantly different epidemiological characteristics compared to the other three groups. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the quality of life of the elderly and prepare for the upcoming super-aged society by taking steps to reduce the incidence and severity of fractures. Possible options for doing so include strengthening individual-level safety factors and expanding the social safety net for the elderly.

• 대한두개안면성형외과학회지
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.183-192
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• 2021

Background: The purse-string suture (PSS) is a simple and rapid wound closure method that results in minimal scarring. It has been used to treat circular or oval skin defects caused by tumor excision or trauma. However, due to obscurity, it is not widely used, especially for the head and neck. This study aimed to modify the PSS to obtain predictable and acceptable results. Methods: A total of 45 sites in 39 patients with various types of skin and soft tissue defects in the head and neck were treated with PSS. We used PDS II (2-0 to 5-0), which is an absorbable suture. Minimal dissection of the subcutaneous layer was performed. The suture knot was hidden by placing it in the dissection layer. Depending on the characteristics of the skin and soft tissue defects, additional surgical interventions such as side-to-side advancement sutures, double PSS, or split-thickness skin graft were applied. Results: All wounds healed completely without any serious complications. Large defects up to 45 mm in diameter were successfully reconstructed using only PSS. Postoperative radiating folds were almost flattened after approximately 1-2 months. Conclusion: PSS is simple, rapid, and relatively free from surgical design. Owing to the circumferential advancement of the surrounding tissue, PSS always results in a smaller scar than the initial lesion and less distortion of the body structures around the wound in the completely healed defect. If the operator can predict the process of healing and immediate radiating folds, PSS could be a favorable option for round skin defects in the head and neck.

• 대한두개안면성형외과학회지
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.167-173
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• 2023

Background: Mandibular split fractures, in which the fracture occurs exclusively in the posterior wall, are uncommon. This study aimed to enhance clinicians' understanding of mandibular split fractures and offer insights for future research. Methods: This study included six patients who visited our hospital between January 2020 and June 2023 and were diagnosed with mandibular split fractures. We retrospectively collected data from patients' medical records on their age, sex, symptoms, mechanism, impact site, associated injuries, and treatment method, as well as the location, pattern, and number of fractures observed on computed tomography (CT) and panoramic images. The frequency of split fractures among all mandibular fractures was calculated. Results: The six patients included three men (50%) and three women (50%), ranging in age from 20 to 71 years (mean age, 49.8 years). The split fractures were located in the symphysis in one patient (16.7%), symphysis to parasymphysis in two patients (33.3%), parasymphysis in one patient (16.7%), and parasymphysis to the body in two patients (33.3%). Four patients (66.7%) had condylar head fractures, while two patients (33.3%) had single split fractures. The mechanism of trauma was a slip-down incident in four cases (66.7%), while two cases (33.3%) were caused by motorcycle traffic accidents. Four patients (67%) underwent intermaxillary fixation, while two patients (33%) improved with conservative treatment. Split fractures were diagnosed in all six patients on CT, whereas the fracture line was not clearly visible on panoramic images. Mandibular split fractures accounted for 5.6% of all mandibular fractures. Conclusion: This study provides insights into the clinical characteristics of rare mandibular split fractures and the diagnostic imaging findings. Furthermore, CT scans and three-dimensional image synthesis-instead of panoramic images-may be essential for accurately diagnosing mandibular fractures, including mandibular split fractures, in the future.

• 대한두개안면성형외과학회지
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• 제24권2호
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• pp.78-82
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• 2023

Blue nevi, which are characterized by collections of pigment-producing melanocytes in the dermis, have a variety of clinicopathological characteristics. Plaque-type blue nevus (PTBN) is a variant of blue nevi. PTBN presents at birth or arises in early childhood, and it shows a combination of the features found in common blue nevus and cellular blue nevus. It is typically found on the dorsal surface of the hands and feet or on the head and neck, and it is usually benign and stable over time. However, reports have occasionally described malignant melanomas developing in or associated with a PTBN. Malignant blue nevi are most commonly found on the scalp. We report the case of an 88-year-old woman with a malignant melanoma associated with a PTBN of the cheek.

• 대한두개안면성형외과학회지
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.105-110
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• 2023

Background: Conventional radial forearm free flaps (RFFFs) are known to be safe, but can result in donor site complications. Based on our experiences with suprafascial and subfascial RFFFs, we evaluated the safety of flap survival and surgical outcomes. Methods: This was a retrospective study of head and neck reconstructions using RFFFs from 2006 to 2021. Thirty-two patients underwent procedures using either subfascial (group A) or suprafascial (group B) dissection for flap elevation. Data were collected on patient characteristics, flap size, and donor and recipient complications, and the two groups were compared. Results: Thirteen of the 32 patients were in group A and 19 were in group B. Group A included 10 men and three women, with a mean age of 56.15 years, and group B included 16 men and three women, with a mean age of 59.11 years. The mean defect areas were 42.83 cm² and 33.32 cm², and the mean flap sizes were 50.96 cm² and 44.54 cm² in groups A and B, respectively. There were 13 donor site complications: eight (61.5%) in group A and five (26.3%) in group B. Flexor tendon exposure occurred in three patients in group A and in none in group B. All flaps survived completely. A recipient site complication occurred in two patients (15.4%) in group A and three patients (15.8%) in group B. Conclusions: Complications and flap survival were similar between the two groups. However, tendon exposure at the donor site was less prevalent in the suprafascial group, and the treatment period was shorter. Based on our data, suprafascial RFFF is a reliable and safe procedure for reconstruction of the head and neck.