Use of a sternocleidomastoid rotational and cervical-fascial advancement flap for closure of a persistent mastoid cutaneous fistula

Post-auricular mastoid fistula is a rare occurrence. It typically appears following repeated soft tissue injury, and is commonly caused by chronic suppurative otitis media and repeated surgical treatments. Management is challenging, with few reported successful surgical techniques, which often have...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of laryngology and otology 2020-10, Vol.134 (10), p.936-938
Main Authors: Tsitsiou, Y, Mantelakis, A, Joshi, A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abscesses
Clinical Records
Ear diseases
Fistula
Fistulae
Neck
Otitis media
Surgeons
Surgical techniques
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Summary:Post-auricular mastoid fistula is a rare occurrence. It typically appears following repeated soft tissue injury, and is commonly caused by chronic suppurative otitis media and repeated surgical treatments. Management is challenging, with few reported successful surgical techniques, which often have limited applicability. This paper presents the case of a 58-year-old male with a persistent right-sided post-auricular cutaneous mastoid fistula resulting from two previous mastoidectomies. Although the patient underwent two simple primary closures, the fistula recurred. This was successfully treated with a new technique utilising a sternocleidomastoid rotational and cervical-fascial advancement flap, which was completely healed at the one-year follow up without a recurrence of the fistula. This novel technique provided definitive obliteration of a persistent cutaneous mastoid fistula. Utilising a double-layered flap and a facelift incision results in excellent functional and cosmetic outcomes.
ISSN:0022-2151
1748-5460
DOI:10.1017/S0022215120001498