Partial glossectomy and floor of mouth (FOM) defect repair with biological dural graft: A case report

IntroductionOral carcinoma can cause significant defects that would necessitate a challenging reconstructive surgery. These techniques include biological or synthetic dressings, grafts, regional flaps, and free-vascularized flaps. Among these, the dural graft has demonstrated promising results in repairing the skull-base defects. Our aim is to report a new, innovative technique for partial glossectomy and floor of mouth defect repair using a biological dural graft dressing when primary repair was not feasible and the patient did not consent to dermal graft or flap interventions.Presentation of caseThis article reports the outcomes from a novel intervention of partial glossectomy repair using a biological dural dressing derived from bovine type-I collagen in a 57-year-old female patient with recurrent T1N1M0 squamous cell carcinoma of the left-sided tongue during the 12 month period of follow-up.DiscussionThe best option for large tongue defects is a free flap, while for a moderate defect is a regional oral flap. The biological graft, as an acellular dermal graft has been well known to facilitate secondary healing in the tongue as an alternative to the split-thickness skin graft. In the current study, the dural dressing in tongue reconstruction was likewise shown to be an effective biological dressing; hence, the collagen membrane is biologically acceptable to the oral mucosa and an excellent wound graft material. However, it is absolutely contraindicated in bovine hypersensitive patients.ConclusionThe biological dural graft dressing appears to be an effective method for tongue reconstruction, as it promotes adequate wound healing and it preserves function.