Island chondromucosal flap from the nose in reconstruction of the eyelid. A light and scanning electron microscopic study.

Specimens from the reconstructed eyelids of two out of 15 patients operated on using an island chondromucosal flap from the nose were observed under light and scanning electron microscopy (EM) to study the histological and ultrastructural features of nasal epithelium transferred as a flap to the lids, the microscopic appearance of the other tissues of the flap, and its vascularisation. Both light and scanning EM images showed that nasal epithelium, when transferred as part of a flap for reconstruction of the eyelid, maintains its differentiation for many months. The lumen of arteries and veins can be observed in sagittal sections within the flap, suggesting that their course is parallel to its long axis. The absence of fibrosis or muscle fibre degeneration together with a highly cellular cartilage are indirect indications of good vascularity. These data support the reliability of the island chondromucosal flap from the nose in reconstruction of the eyelid.