Surgical treatment of dermatomal capillary malformations in the adult face.
BACKGROUND
Facial capillary malformations (CMs) rarely recede; they often become darker and raised in proportion to their growth. These malformations may hypertrophy in adulthood, resulting in increased disfigurement and dysfunction. Laser treatment is considered a first-line therapy for focal CMs, but thick wide lesions, which are accompanied by hypertrophy and have a well-circumscribed nodularity, may be treated with surgical excision and reconstruction.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the records of 25 consecutive patients who had undergone complete or partial excisions of facial capillary malformations in our unit. After the excisions, the defects that encompassed their facial aesthetic units were subsequently covered by various methods, including primary closures, local flaps, expanded flaps, split-thickness skin grafts, and full thickness skin grafts.


RESULTS
The data demonstrated satisfactory results and reliability. Our patients were treated without significant complications, and all of the patients were moderately or fully satisfied with the outcome of their surgeries.


CONCLUSIONS
Among the many reconstructive options for adult patients with facial capillary malformations, thick split-thickness skin grafts can be a good choice for the coverage of widely excised wounds.
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang, Korea.
Yoojeong
Y
Kim
Suk Joon
SJ
Oh
Junsang
J
Lee
Jihoon
J
Yang
Sung Hoon
SH
Koh
Sung Won
SW
Jung