A rhomboid nose-side flap in nasal skin defects

A reliable flap method for covering a defect caused by the excision of basal cell carcinoma of the alar region is presented. It is suitable for an out-patient procedure. The flap is elevated from the side of the nose. The design of the flap is as follows: its caudal margin coincides with the cephalad margin of the lesion; the medial side of the flap is drawn parallel to the dorsum of the nose; the cephalad side runs back at an acute angle to the lower lid below the eye, incorporating a part of the lower lid and cheek tissue in the flap. Twenty basal cell carcinomas have been treated at the Department of Dermatology, Helsinki University Central Hospital between 1973--1975 using the flap with good cosmetic results. This flap is a useful alternative to the naso-labial flap in a Finnish nose.