The horn shaped fascio-cutaneous flap usage in cutaneous malignancy of the leg

The cover of defects in the leg is a surgical challenge, especially in the elderly patient. We report our experience in 24 patients, who underwent excision of a cutaneous malignancy and subsequent cover of the defect with a horn shaped fascio-cutaneous flap. The patientsʹ average age was 77 with a range of 61–89 years. The average size of the defect covered was 4×4 cm, with a range from 3×3 to 8×8 cm. There were no flap losses. Two complications presented following discharge from hospital, one required further surgery. These findings indicate that this technically simple flap is reliable, with a low complication rate (8%), and produces an aesthetic result. It provides an alternative to split skin grafting for cutaneous malignancy defects of the leg.