The use of the temporoparietal fascial flap in temporal bone reconstruction.

After routine canal wall down mastoidectomy, local muscle flaps with and without bone paté, cartilage and fascia are the standard techniques available to otologists wishing to obliterate the mastoid and reconstruct the external auditory canal. Reconstructive options for temporal bone defects after extirpative surgery for cancer, osteoradionecrosis, and revision surgery for chronic granulomatous otitis media, however, are few. Although the neighboring temporoparietal fascia flap (TPFF), based on the superficial temporal vessels, has been frequently employed for auricular reconstruction, its versatility in temporal bone reconstruction has not been widely explored. The TPFF has recently been employed at our institution in 11 patients who presented with a variety of reconstructive problems, including defects after temporal bone resection, surgery for malignant otitis externa, and revision mastoid surgery. Follow-up in these patients ranged from 1 to 43 months (average 18.4 months) and surgical objectives of achieving a dry mastoid bowl, fully epithelialized canal, and/or reduction of mastoid cavity volume was attained in 100% of cases. The TPFF offers many advantages to the otologic surgeon when faced with reconstruction dilemmas that center around a poorly vascularized mastoid cavity and temporal bone. The TPFF is a reliable source of local well-vascularized tissue that is extremely pliable and facilitates both hearing and nonhearing preservation temporal bone reconstruction.