Coverage of scalp defects following contact electrical burns to the head: A clinical series

Fifteen patients with various scalp defects resulting from contact electrical burns to the head, were reconstructed between the periods of January 1989 and October 2004 in our burns unit. The incidence of scalp burns in our patient population was 2.99% for electrical injuries and 0.95% for all burns...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Burns 2006-03, Vol.32 (2), p.201-207
Main Authors: Dalay, Cemil, Kesiktas, Erol, Yavuz, Metin, Ozerdem, Gokhan, Acarturk, Sabri
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Burns, Electric - surgery
Electrical burns
Female
Flap coverage
Humans
Male
Reconstructive Surgical Procedures - methods
Salvage of cranium
Scalp - injuries
Scalp defect
Skin Transplantation - methods
Surgical Flaps
Treatment Outcome
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Summary:Fifteen patients with various scalp defects resulting from contact electrical burns to the head, were reconstructed between the periods of January 1989 and October 2004 in our burns unit. The incidence of scalp burns in our patient population was 2.99% for electrical injuries and 0.95% for all burns during the study period. We present here a clinical series of fifteen patients with large, complex scalp defects following contact electrical burns to the head treated successfully by the application of local and free flaps. In this series, four free flaps, one pedicled flap and 10 local flaps were used for the reconstructions with no major postoperative complications seen. The average size of the defect was 89.45 cm 2 for cases in whom local flaps were applied, 193 cm 2 for free flaps and 143 cm 2 for one case treated with distant flap. Four cases required craniectomies because of the delay in reporting to our burns unit. Early surgical attempt to cover the defect with a well-vascularized tissue provides excellent healing, osteogenesis, short hospital staying, low rate of infection and requires no surgical debridement of the bone in the early phase.
ISSN:0305-4179
1879-1409
DOI:10.1016/j.burns.2005.08.010