The horn shaped fascio-cutaneous flap usage in cutaneous malignancy of the leg

The cover of defects in the leg is a surgical challenge, especially in the elderly patient. We report our experience in 24 patients, who underwent excision of a cutaneous malignancy and subsequent cover of the defect with a horn shaped fascio-cutaneous flap. The patients' average age was 77 with a range of 61-89 years. The average size of the defect covered was 4x4 cm, with a range from 3x3 to 8x8 cm. There were no flap losses. Two complications presented following discharge from hospital, one required further surgery. These findings indicate that this technically simple flap is reliable, with a low complication rate (8%), and produces an aesthetic result. It provides an alternative to split skin grafting for cutaneous malignancy defects of the leg.