Frontal musculocutaneous V-Y island flap for coverage of forehead defect with a dural exposure after craniotomy

We have performed forehead reconstruction with a frontal musculocutaneous V-Y island flap to establish skin and soft-tissue coverage for a cranial bone defect with dural exposure. A 56-year-old woman who had previously undergone craniotomy for aneurysm clipping had a severe infection of the bone flap and subsequently underwent partial resection. The skin defect and the underlying dead space on the dura was successfully covered with a frontal musculocutaneous V-Y island flap without complications. Because this flap shows technical feasibility in harvesting, stable blood supply, functional preservation of frontal muscle, and good texture and color match, it may be an ideal flap for forehead and frontal reconstruction of defects of small or moderate size when primary closure, skin grafting, or transfer of local pedicled flaps or free flaps is impossible.