Clinical appearance of full-thickness skin grafts of the nose.

BACKGROUND

Full-thickness skin grafting (FTSG) is an option for reconstruction of nasal defects.

OBJECTIVE

To correlate the clinical outcome of FTSG on the nose with donor site, location of the defect, and defect size.

METHODS

Patients with FTSG on the nose following Mohs' micrographic surgery were enrolled. Clinical and photographic assessments were performed.

RESULTS

There were 54 FTSGs; the mean age was 20.6 months, and the average size was 2.1 cm2. The clinical assessment score was significantly different across donor sites, with dog-ear skin providing the best results, followed, respectively, by conchal bowl, preauricular, postauricular, and inner arm skin (p = .006). The global clinical outcome determined from the clinical assessment score was good for inner arm skin and excellent for other sites. The photographic assessment score was not different among donor sites (p = .601). There was no correlation of location and size of the defect to the clinical outcome assessed clinically and photographically (p>.05).

CONCLUSION

All potential donor sites should be considered to select the donor site that best matches the defect.