Combined Linear Closure and Burow's Graft for a Dorsal Nasal Defect

Abstract

An 80-year-old man with a history of nonmelanoma skin cancers of the head and neck presented for treatment of a basal cell carcinoma of the nose. Physical examination revealed a poorly defined, exophytic, ulcerated nodule of the mid-dorsal nose. Given the size, location, and ill-defined margins of the tumor, Mohs micrographic surgical excision was indicated. The tumor was excised in three stages with microscopic control. The final defect was full thickness of the dermis, sparing the underlying muscle and measuring 3.2 x 2.4 cm on the mid-dorsal, supratip, and lateral aspects of the nose (Figure 1). How would you repair this defect?