title: A novel technique for ventral orbital stabilization: the masseter muscle flap.
abstract: Loss of the caudal maxilla and ventral orbit after tumor resections can have negative functional and esthetic influences on the eye involved. This article reports on a case of a caudal maxillary acanthomatous ameloblastoma involving the ventral orbit that was resected and stabilized with a masseter muscle flap. The masseter muscle flap was generated from the superficial belly of the masseter muscle in order to close a defect in the orbital rim, created by a caudal maxillectomy. None of the published complications such as enophthalmos, excessive lacrimation, globe deviation, or strabismus were noted, 8 months following the procedure. The only clinical sign present at the time of re-evaluation was mild lacrimation. The authors propose the use of a masseter muscle flap as a viable technique in stabilizing the ventral orbit after caudal maxillectomy and ventral orbitectomy, preventing the complications associated with this surgery.
authors.affiliation: Section of Surgery, Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
authors.forename: Amilan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sivagurunathan
authors.forename: Sonja C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Boy
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Steenkamp
mesh_terms: D000564:Ameloblastoma / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D004285:Dogs; D008297:Male; D008406:Masseter Muscle; D008437:Maxilla / Q000601:surgery; D008441:Maxillary Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D009915:Orbit / Q000601:surgery; D009918:Orbital Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: acanthomatous ameloblastoma; dog; flap reconstruction; maxillectomy; orbit stabilization; strabismus