Local Rhomboid Flap Reconstruction for Skin Defects After Excising Large Parotid Gland Tumors.

ABSTRACT

Most parotid tumors grow slowly, and sometimes these patients do not request surgical treatment until the tumors become large and affect their appearance. The surgical treatment of these large tumors is usually accompanied by large skin defects after excision, and it is challenging for surgeons to close the defect primarily. This report describes the case of a 68-year-old man with a left parotid gland tumor (largest dimension, 110 mm) and the case of a 79-year-old man with a left parotid gland tumor measuring approximately 77 mm that had existed for decades. These patients underwent facial nerve dissection and parotidectomy with skin sacrifice. The large skin defects after the parotidectomy were successfully reconstructed with local rhomboid flaps. No facial palsy, wound disruption, flap edge loss, or major complications occurred after the surgeries. Except for the scars, the color of the cheek flap was not apparent from the periphery. In conclusion, local rhomboid flap reconstruction is a rapid and practical technique for reconstructing medium to large skin defects in the cheek and upper neck regions after tumor excisions. The flap was reliable in blood supply and cosmetic outcome.