Use of a caudal auricular axial pattern flap in cats

A caudal auricular axial pattern flap was used in 3 cats to successfully reconstruct large cutaneous defects of the head that were a result of trauma or surgical excision of neoplasms. The technique was a convenient, practical, one-stage procedure for closure of the defects, and flaps up to 7.0 x 12.0 cm were developed. All flaps healed without complications. Anatomic landmarks and surgical guidelines for developing the flap were determined through anatomic dissections and angiographic studies of the cutaneous vasculature of the head and neck in feline cadavers. This report confirms findings of a previous study describing a platysma myocutaneous flap.