An alternative treatment for postburn microstomia treatment: Composite auricular lobule graft for oral comissure reconstruction

Surgical Treatment of Post Burn Deformities of Oral Commissure and Lower Lip

“…Skin graft losses are higher in the case of fullthickness skin grafts around the mouth opening because of contamination by food and fluids [8] . Microstomia following burns of the face remains a significant challenge requiring the plastic surgeon to seek creative reconstructive options 9 . Anatomy of the oral commissure and modiolus is very sophisticated to meet their functions so creation after burn injury is more difficult to recreate [9] .…”

Dental management of patients with microstomia. A review of the literature and update on the treatment.

“…Microstomia is a condition that may be caused by multiple and varied situations; from birth defects, such as scleroderma, epidermolysis bullosa or in some rare syndromes that affect connective tissue 4 , or even as a consequence of the healing of the perioral soft tissues after surgical resection or trauma such as burns in perilabial areas, that while healing leave retractile scars of these tissues, deforming and closing mouth commissures 1,4,11 . Clinical diagnosis of this condition has not yet been clearly defined by precise size criteria 29 , although some authors as Serrano-Martínez et al 18 , based on the values of normal opening in adults (51 to 60mm), suggest that if the maximum oral aperture is less than 50mm we are in the presence of microstomia.…”

“…Microstomia can be produced by a physical or chemical trauma such as electrical or chemical burns in perilabial areas that after healing leave retractable scars on these tissues, deforming and closing the corners of the lips 1,4,11 .…”

“…It also may appear with some diseases such as epidermolysis bullosa or scleroderma and in some rare syndromes that affect connective tissue 4 .…”

Microstomia: A Rare but Serious Oral Manifestation of Inherited Disorders

“…Martins et al reconstructed corners of the mouth via 4 rhomboid flaps rotated from the buccal mucosa (Martins et al, 2003). Ayhan et al described a new technique of reconstructing with a composite graft of the ear-lobule to surgically correct microstomia (Ayhan et al, 2006). Composite auricular lobule grafts, triangular pedicle flaps and bipedicled deep inferior epigastric perforator flaps are seldom used for the reconstruction of the oral commissure.…”