Correction of Pterygium Colli in Turner Syndrome: A Clinical Report and Review of the Surgical Management

The aim of surgery for pterygium colli (PC) is to correct the contour deformity, redistribute or remove the horizontal excess of skin, address the abnormal posterior hairline, avoid excessive scarring, and prevent recurrence. The purpose of this study is to review the available methods to correct the deformity and highlight a recent patient performed by the senior author. A modified bilateral Z-plasty technique was used for correcting PC on a 5-year-old African American girl diagnosed with Turner syndrome. The patient had an uneventful postoperative period and satisfactory functional and esthetic results were demonstrated at 1 year follow-up. The approach used was a variation of a lateral approach. Using the proposed approach, excision and complete release of the scar contracture and less tension, which reduces the rate of recurrence compared with the posterior approaches, is achieved. Moreover, the current technique avoids myotomies, which can put the spinal accessory nerve at risk, and lateral Z-plasties which the authors find unnecessary. Instead, the advancement of each anterior flap is limited in the posterosuperior direction so that the flaps do not meet in the posterior midline. This limits the pull and tension on the entire closure. Although several techniques have been described over the years, the search for the ideal type of surgical treatment is still ongoing.