[Reconstruction of chest wall using myocutaneous flap]

Reconstruction of chest wall using myocutaneous flap has been performed in 2 cases. A 72-year-old female referred to our hospital for locally recurrent left breast cancer without any distant metastases. The other patient was a 77-year-old female, having locally recurrent liposarcoma of the left lateral chest wall. Chest wall was resected with wide margin of normal tissue, and myocutaneous flaps of latissimus dorsi were used for reconstruction of skin defect (13 x 8 cm and 14 x 10 cm) in both cases. Although additional split-thickness skin graft was required for one of them, myocutaneous flaps were useful for the reconstruction of widely defected chest wall. By using this technique, wider margin can be obtained, which could decrease the risk for local recurrence of malignant tumor.