Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 May 23:18:1253-1260.
doi: 10.2147/CCID.S515533. eCollection 2025.

Defect Size Dependent Reconstruction Strategy of the Nasal Tip Cutaneous Wounds: A Retrospective Study

Minliang Wu #  1 , Xinyi Zhang #  1 , Ang Li #  1 , Jianguo Xu  1 , Haiying Dai  1 , Ji Zhu  1 , Jie Dong  1 , Kexin Chen  1 , Yuai Xiao  1 , Yuchong Wang  1 , Chunyu Xue  1
Affiliations

Defect Size Dependent Reconstruction Strategy of the Nasal Tip Cutaneous Wounds: A Retrospective Study

Minliang Wu et al. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. .

Abstract

Objective: To achieve satisfying function and appearance of nasal tip after tumor resection.

Methods: This retrospective study included patients with nasal tip tumors admitted between January 2010 and January 2024. A standardized data collection template was used to collect related variables. Tumors were all resected according to the guidelines, and the defects were repaired with different flaps. For nasal tip soft tissue defects smaller than 1 cm, a horn-shaped flap was used; for defects with a diameter of 1-2 cm, the bilobed flap was applied; for defects larger than 2 cm, frontonasal flap was designed.

Results: Twenty-eight patients were included in this study. All the skin defects were repaired according to the one-stage reconstruction strategy. All patients achieved primary healing without severe complications. Slight edema occurred in 5 patients, and slight infection occurred in 2 patients, all healed with dressing change in several days. Ideal aesthetic results achieved without distortion of the nasal tip or alar rim. During the follow-up period of 3-11 months, no tumor occurrence was observed.

Conclusion: The reconstruction strategy reported in this study is a promising way in the repair of nasal tip soft tissue defect with little complication and satisfying outcomes.

Keywords: bilobed flap; frontonasal flap; horn-shaped flap; nasal reconstruction; nasal tip defect.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Minliang Wu, Xinyi Zhang, and Ang Li are co-first authors for this study. All authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A case of a 56-years-old female with BCC. (A) Preoperative photograph of the lesion on the nose tip. (B) Intraoperative photograph of the wound after the removal of a tumor, with the markings of the flap. The defect area measuring 1.0×1.0 cm. (C) Immediate postoperative photograph demonstrating soft tissue coverage of the wound with horn-shaped flap. (D) Follow-up after three months demonstrating successful wound closure with ideal esthetic result. The front view (E) and right profile (F) taken 11 months after surgery.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A case of a 77-years-old female with pleomorphic adenoma. (A) Intraoperative photograph of the wound after the removal of a tumor, with the markings of the flap. The defect area measuring 2.0×2.0 cm. (B) Immediate postoperative photograph demonstrating soft tissue coverage of the wound with bilobed flap. (C) Flap was well-survived five days after surgery. (D) Ten days after surgery and the sutures can be removed. The front view (E), the right profile (F and G), and the head tilted back view (H) taken 1 months after surgery.
Figure 3
Figure 3
A case of an 85-years-old female with BCC. (A) Preoperative photograph of the lesion on the nose tip. (B) Intraoperative photograph of the wound after the removal of a tumor, with the markings of the flap. The defect area measuring 2.7×2.5 cm. (C) Dissection of the flap. (D) Immediate postoperative photograph demonstrating soft tissue coverage of the wound with frontonasal flap. (E and F) Follow-up after 2 months demonstrating successful wound closure without distortion of nose tip. The front view (G) and left profile (H) taken 5 months after surgery.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Goldman A, Wollina U. Defect closure after successful skin cancer surgery of the nose: a report of 52 cases. Acta Dermatovenerol Alp Pannonica Adriat. 2020;29(4):209–214. doi:10.15570/actaapa.2020.41 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Burget G, Menick F. Aesthetic Reconstruction of the Nose, 2nd Ed. St. Louis, MO, USA: Mosby; 1994.
    1. Ding F, Huang C, Sun D, et al. Combination of extended paramedian forehead flap and laser hair removal in the reconstruction of distal nasal defect. Ann Plastic Surg. 2021;86(3 Suppl 2):S293–S298. doi:10.1097/SAP.0000000000002588 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Wollina U, Bennewitz A, Langner D. Basal cell carcinoma of the outer nose: overview on surgical techniques and analysis of 312 patients. J Cutan Aesthetic Surg. 2014;7(3):143–150. doi:10.4103/0974-2077.146660 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Park YJ, Kwon GH, Kim JO, et al. Reconstruction of nasal ala and tip following skin cancer resection. Arch Craniofac Surg. 2019;20(6):382–387. doi:10.7181/acfs.2019.00486 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources