title: Reconstruction of congenital and acquired columellar defects: clinical review of 38 patients.
abstract: Reconstruction of columella presents certain difficulties and includes reconstruction of the cartilaginous strut and the overlying skin to obtain good results. We conducted a retrospective clinical review of 38 patients presenting with congenital and acquired columellar defects. Anatomic characteristics to be considered were defined and a classification method is proposed to more fully describe columellar defects. The columellar defects of the patients were classified into three groups as follows: type I, skin defect of columella and absence of medial crura of lower lateral cartilage; type II, type II + partial absence of caudal part of septal cartilage; and type III, complex defect of columella accompanying with the other nasal subunit defects. The patients chosen in this study were designed to describe a common approach for the choice of the reconstruction method that provides excellent aesthetic result while minimizing the extent of the surgery and maximizing patient acceptance.
authors.affiliation: Izmir Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Clinic of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Meltem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ayhan
authors.forename: Asuman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sevin
authors.forename: Zeynep
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Aytug
authors.forename: Metin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gorgu
authors.forename: Bülent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Erdoğan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D004425:Ear Cartilage / Q000637:transplantation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009300:Nasal Septum / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery*; D009667:Nose Deformities, Acquired / Q000601:surgery; D009668:Nose Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012225:Rhinoplasty / Q000379:methods*; D013524:Surgical Flaps