Reconstruction after Big Nasal Tumors

Rezumat Reconstruction after Big Nasal Tumors 2021, Vol. 28, No. 1 Mihai MEHEDINTU1, Stefan-Andrei COMAN1, Horia TOADER1, Corina-Maria STEFAN1, Radu-Cristian JECAN2 This article comes as a presentation of the clinical experience in the plastic surgery department. Gather the experience of 3 clinical cases, more representative, with different histopathological tumors, of important dimensions that occupied a large part of the facial anatomical unit, the nose. The article is structured by presenting the risk factors that are the causes of malignant lesions and by recalling the therapeutic options and general principles of addressing large lesions. Malignant lesions that occur most frequently in the nose are reviewed. We consider that it is a serious health problem, with various consequences, of a functional nature, which can affect the airways and aesthetically that can lead to a reconsideration of self-respect and the perception of the affected person towards his peers. The approach of the cases was done sequentially. The first surgical stage involved the excision of the lesion with the oncological safety limit, the defect being larger than the lesion and the more elaborate therapeutic options on the reconstruction scale. The first operative stage ended each time with covering the defect with a graft to have the confirmation of the histopathological examination, free of the tumor. The second stage of the treatment involved lifting the flap and accommodating it. The last surgical stage involved the sectioning of the pedicle and its reintegration into the donor area.


INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL PRINCIPLES
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in the world, exceeding the combined incidence of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer cases annually. The most frequent non-melanoma skin cancers of the face and thus of the nose are basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). BCC is the most common cutaneous malignancy worldwide and accounts for nearly 80% of all skin cancers. There is marked worldwide geographic variability, most often affecting light skin populations in locations with high UV exposure. Mortality is rare, but there are locally aggressive BCC than can result in significant patient morbidity.
The predominant risk factors include: intense sunlight and UV exposure, Fitzpatrick skin types I-II, a family history of skin cancer, male sex, smoking, human papilloma virus, exposure to arsenic or hydrocarbons, previous radiation and immunodeficiency resulting from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or systemic drugs required for transplant recipients. It usually arises sporadically, but there are BCC associated with several clinical syndromes like Bazex syndrome, Gorlin syndrome (basal cell nevus syndrome) and xeroderma pigmentosum.
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma accounts for 15-20% of all skin cancers. Similar to BCC there is a marked geographic variability in the incidence of SCC with more patients in areas with increased sun exposure.
The risk factors include: sun and UVA, UVB exposure, Fitzpatrick I-II types, fair hair, a history of radiation, chronic inflammation, exposure to arsenic or hydrocarbons, chronic immunosuppression secondary to organ transplantation, infections with HPV, previous non-melanoma skin cancers, additionally there are certain inherited disorders such as xeroderma pigmentosum, epidermolysis bullosa and albinism.
After the excision of these types of skin cancers the plastic surgeon has a few possibilities to cover the remaining defect.
On the reconstructive stairway we can first allow the wound to heal by secondary intention, then there is direct tissue closure, afterwards the split thickness skin graft, then local tissue transfer, regional tissue transfer and finally the free tissue transfer, which are the most laborious and hard to realize.
Nasal reconstruction in our Clinic usually uses: For free transfers the most used ones are preauricular free flap with its vascular pedicle the superficial temporal artery branches 0.65-0.82mm and radial forearm free flap with the vascular pedicle having the radial artery 1.0-2.5mm, venae comitantes of 0.8-1.2mm and collector vein caliber of 2-3mm.
Of course one can also use a composite graft which is a free tissue transfer and not a flap and the neovascularization occurs from the surrounding vascularized mucosa and skin 1,2,3 .

OBJECTIVES
The primary objectives of this study are to underline the epidemiology and risk factors of skin cancers, considering they are a major health problem with increasing numbers worldwide, describe the surgical techniques and outcomes of the reconstruction of the nose after large tumor resection with paramedian forehead flap in a 2 stage fashion 3 but with reintegration of the pedicle in the forehead after the separation.

METHODS
The following article is a retrospective case study performed on 3 patients with large tumors of the nose, for which they underwent surgery using multiple flaps to cover the defects.
The coverage of the defects produced by excision was done in a subsequent operative time.
Extensive excision of the tumor involved covering the defect with a skin graft. The anatomopathological result was defining for the next surgical stage.
The first patient is a 82 years old male with hypertension and bilateral ectropion, whom first came to the clinic in 2017 with a cystic tumor on the dorsum nasi for which he underwent surgery, excision and bilobed flap for closure. The tumor reoccurred in 2019 and the second time they evacuated the cystic formation and performed direct closure.
In 2020, he came to the clinic with a large ulcerative tumor on the dorsum nasi, right alar region and right nasal wing for which they performed a split-thickness skin graft in order to see if the excision was tumor free. The right alar cartilage and right triangle cartilage were infiltrated so they performed rescission and a reconstruction of the lining with a buccal mucosal graft and afterwards the defect was covered with a paramedian forehead flap. The flap was separated after 4 weeks and accommodated to the nose. The patient was very happy with the final result. Unfortunately the invasion of the tumor was too profound and they could not get a free margin so the patient is at risk for recurrence. The patient is under clinical observation at 6 months by observing the evolution.
The histopathological results showed cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma G2 pT3 pNx pMx.
The second patient is a 50 years old male with hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II and postoperative hypothyroidism, secondary to thyroidectomy, whom first presented in 2017 with a nodular tumor on the dorsal aspect of the nose, for which he underwent excision and a bilobed flap for closure. In 2019 the tumor reoccurred and after excision they performed direct closure.
In 2020 the patient presents to the clinic with a large ulcerative tumor on the dorsum and right wing of the nose for which they first did a full thickness skin graft and after receiving the histopathological result concluding the margins were free of tumor they did a paramedian forehead flap. The flap was separated af-Multiple photos of the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative aspects of the reconstruction Multiple photos of the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative aspects of the reconstruction ter 6 weeks and accommodated. The patient was also pleased with his final result.
The histopathological results showed basal cell carcinoma.
The last patient is the case of an old woman with a nasal tumor involving almost all regions of the nose. The patient came from a rural environment, with an occupational exposure to the sun. They chose a vertical axis forehead flap to cover the defect and split skin graft was used to support of the missing septal cartilage and both alar regions. The entire nasal defect was covered reconstruct lining of middle vaults and anterior vestibules. Conchal cartilage was used to restore with a large forehead flap. The residual forehead defect was covered with a skin graft and cheek advancement flap was used to repair the cheek component of the defect. After 6 weeks the forehead pedicle was divided. The final result was functional and aesthetically pleasant.
The histopathological results showed basal cell carcinoma.
In all our cases the frontal flap was normally infused with capillary pulse present, normally colored and with a local temperature similar to that of the surrounding skin. There was no case of partial or total necrosis of the flap.
What was characteristic to our cases was the fact that all the flaps after the pedicle was divided had the pedicle reinserted into the frontal region in order to reuse a forehead flap for future reconstruction.

DISCUSSIONS
Postoperatively, the patients were free of symptoms, with no ophthalmic or breathing deficits and put on clinical observation to discover any possible recurrence or new sites of tumors.
It is very important to discuss preoperatively what is cosmetically and functionally achievable and balance it against what the patient feels will be acceptable.
When performing this type of interventions, one must consider factors that will affect the flap and graft viability or wound healing like diabetes, vascular disease or previous radiotherapy. Having the ability to perform a wide range of techniques allows you to choose the one most suited for your patient's needs.
The stage of surgical treatment is a correct medical decision.
The anatomopathological result produces a treatment algorithm that could be vicios by performing the excision and flap covering the defect in a single stage.
Follow-up of the patient according to a well-established protocol, even for those surgically cured, must be done responsibly by both the doctor and the patients.

Compliance with ethics requirements:
The authors declare no conflict of interest regarding this article. The authors declare that all the procedures and experiments of this study respect the ethical standards in the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008(5), as well as the national law. Informed consent was obtained from all the patients included in the study.
Multiple photos of the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative aspects of the reconstruction