An isolated congenital absence of nasal columella: A case report and review of literature

Abstract

Introduction: The nasal columella is an important aesthetic and functional entity of the midface. Congenital absence of the nasal columella as an isolated anomaly is extremely rare.

Presentation of case: We present a case of total congenital aplasia of the nasal columella in a 3-month-old female infant. The deformity was not associated with any other anomalies and with no obvious underlying cause.

Discussion: Isolated congenital absence of the nasal columella is an extremely rare anomaly and its etiology is still unknown. Surgical reconstruction of absent nasal columella is challenging as a result of its complex anatomy, and different surgical techniques have been described in the literature to reconstruct the nasal columella with varying advantages and disadvantages.

Conclusion: The variety in available surgical techniques for the reconstruction of nasal columella necessitates a thorough preoperative evaluation in order to choose the most suitable surgical technique and achieve the best outcome, both functionally and esthetically.

Keywords: Absence; Congenital; columella.