Response to Letter to the Editor on “Extended Inferior Turbinate Flap for Endoscopic Reconstruction of Skull Base Defects.” J Neurol Surg B 2014;75(B4):225–230

Thank you for bringing this omission to our attention. The omission is understandable considering that the article by Rivera–Serrano et al[1] was solely an online publication requiring journal subscription and was not available to us for review. A PubMed search for “inferior turbinate flap” does not list the publication presumably because it is described as a “posterior pedicle lateral nasal wall flap.” In our opinion, the inclusion of the septal mucosa as an extension of the inferior turbinate flap is a novel modification of the inferior turbinate flap that greatly enhances reconstructive options.[2]

• References

• 1 Rivera-Serrano CM, Bassagaisteguy LH, Hadad G , et al. Posterior pedicle lateral nasal wall flap: new reconstructive technique for large defects of the skull base. Am J Rhinol Allergy 2011; 25 (6) e212-e216
• 2 Fortes FS, Carrau RL, Snyderman CH , et al. The posterior pedicle inferior turbinate flap: a new vascularized flap for skull base reconstruction. Laryngoscope 2007; 117 (8) 1329-1332