Iatrogenic nostril stenosis: aesthetic correction using a vestibular labial mucosa flap

Nostril stenosis is an infrequent finding that often has an iatrogenic cause. It is a very difficult problem to resolve and usually requires several months of prosthetic support in order to counteract the recurrence of internal scarring and shrinking. We present a 4-year-old child with a monolateral iatrogenic nostril stenosis. A satisfactory and stable correction was obtained using a "piercing" flap taken from the labial vestibule. The use of a nasal stent (not placed immediately and worn only at night) was necessary for only 2 months. This technique has a number of advantages: the absence of external scars, little or no tendency to recurrence due to the absence of contraction provided by the well-vascularized flap tissue, and the ease and rapidity of the surgical procedure.