Lower lip reconstruction with a hard palate mucoperiosteal graft.

Abstract

Reconstruction of a lower lip deformity associated with leakage of saliva (drooling) and food spillage is challenging. To achieve complete closure of the mouth, the lips must have a sufficient and uniform thickness. Here we report a patient with lower lip deformity secondary to resection of a malignant tumor, in whom reconstruction was done with a hard palate mucoperiosteal graft. Perfect mouth closure without any leakage of saliva and a natural contour of the reconstructed lower lip were obtained, thus providing good aesthetic and functional results. This is the first report about the repair of a lower lip deformity with a hard palate mucoperiosteal graft. This type of graft seems to be a useful option for reconstructing lip deformities, and it can be widely applied to treat deformities caused by tumor resection, trauma, or cleft lip.