Soft Tissue Reconstruction and Facial Reanimation With Bilateral Latissimus Dorsi Flaps After Extensive Resection of Head and Neck Arteriovenous Malformation: A Case Report

Ann Plast Surg. 2019 Jul;83(1):73-77. doi: 10.1097/SAP.0000000000001878.

Abstract

We report a rare case of a 37-year-old man who presented with a huge arteriovenous malformation in the head and neck region. After resection, the 30 × 25 cm defect was reconstructed with a preexpanded musculocutaneous latissimus dorsi flap. The facial nerve had to be sacrificed during the resection, and smile reanimation was restored in a second operation with the contralateral latissimus muscle flap. A 15-cm length of thoracodorsal nerve was dissected and was anastomosed to the contralateral zygomatic branch in a single stage. He recovered well without any significant complications. At 6 years follow-up, there was no further growth of the arteriovenous malformation, and he had a spontaneous smile.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Arteriovenous Malformations / diagnostic imaging
  • Arteriovenous Malformations / surgery*
  • Esthetics
  • Facial Expression
  • Head / abnormalities
  • Head / surgery
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Angiography / methods
  • Male
  • Neck / abnormalities
  • Neck / surgery
  • Plastic Surgery Procedures / methods*
  • Prognosis
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Superficial Back Muscles / transplantation*
  • Surgical Flaps / blood supply
  • Surgical Flaps / transplantation*
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Wound Healing / physiology*