Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Surgical Approach to Full Soft Tissue Face Allograft Procurement for Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation
Published on: December 30, 2025
Surgical treatment of facial cutis verticis gyrata with direct excision
Justus P Beier1, Ulrich Kneser, Raymund E Horch
1Department od Plastic and Hand Surgery, University Hospital of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen, Nuremberg, Germany.
Background:
Cutis verticis gyrata (CVG) is a rare deformity of the skin presenting with thick gyrated folds and ridges, involving predominantly parts of the head and the face.
Objective:
We report on aspects of the surgical treatment of facial CVG based on our experiences with four patients, who had developed a progressive and enormous thickening and an extraordinary strong gyration of the facial skin.
Methods:
A single or staged repeated straightforward surgical treatment with direct excision of abundant and thickened gyriform folds, in one case accomplished by an upper face-lift, was performed.
Results:
Direct excision within the lines of tension resulted in a major reduction of the facial skin distortion, a reduced scalp, and facial skin thickening and avoided maceration in all four patients. The quality of life was considerably improved in all patients.
Conclusion:
Direct excision of gyriform skin is a successful surgical approach to the rare skin deformity of CVG.

