Surgical Treatment With Three Skin Flaps of Basosquamous Carcinoma: Case Report

By: Chris Schimpf, BS
Posted: Thursday, February 1, 2024

In an illustrative case study published in the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports, a Syrian medical team described the process of treating an 87-year-old female patient with basosquamous carcinoma on her left cheek, nasal ala, medial canthal area, and eyelids. This is an uncommon and malignant subtype of non-melanoma skin cancer without well-defined histologic characteristics or standardized treatment procedures.

A wide excision resulted in the removal of nearly 90% of the patient’s lower eyelid, half of the upper eyelid, the medial canthus, and a portion of her nose and left cheek. However, Badawi et al, of the University of Aleppo, Syria, and colleagues reported they were able to successfully reconstruct the resulting defect (5 x 4 cm) using a combination of three skin flaps: the McGregor flap, the V-Y glabellar flap, and the nasolabial laterally based cheek flap.

“In our case, reconstructing the area was challenging due to important anatomical structures and finding tissue that matches the desired appearance, while preserving functional and aesthetic results,” the team noted. “This [three-flap] approach preserved eyelid movements and enabled full closure. The cosmetic results were good.”

The team reported the patient did not receive adjuvant therapies after surgery, because of her advanced age and lack of metastasis. Her visual acuity was not affected, and she experienced no surgical complications or recurrences within 1 year of the surgery.

Disclosure: The study authors reported no conflicts of interest.

International Journal of Surgery Case Reports

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