USE OF GALEAL OR PERICRANIAL FLAPS FOR RECONSTRUCTION OF ORBITAL AND EYELID DEFECTS

The use of galeal or pericranial flaps for craniofacial reconstruction is well recognized. The excellent blood supply of the flap permits va scularized support for skin, bone, or cartilage grafts in otherwise un satisfactory recipient sites. The pericranial flap was used in 1 patie nt with a large orbital bony defect and the galeopericranial flap was used in 3 patients with various periocular defects produced by trauma or following tumor extirpation. In the case of an orbital defect induc ed by chronic cocaine abuse, the pericranial flap successfully sequest ered the orbit from the nasal cavity while providing support for the g lobe. In 3 of the 4 cases involving eyelid reconstruction, the galeope ricranial flap served a dual function in providing vascular supply to the underlying free tarsal graft and to the overlying free skin graft. This tissue flap is analogous to a median forehead flap, except skin is not transposed and a second-stage inset revision is not required.