Bilateral congenital aplasia of nasal lower lateral cartilage: a rare anomaly

Abstract

Congenital nasal anomalies are rare and occur in 1/20 000–1/40 000 newborns. An 8-year-old boy presented with developmental aplasia of bilateral nasal lower lateral cartilages, with excessive wrinkled and loose skin on the dorsum of the nose and with difficulty breathing through the nose. This is probably the first such case to be reported in the literature. The defect was reconstructed using conchal and septal cartilage grafting through an external rhinoplasty approach. At the end of the 12-month follow-up period, the patient was found to be satisfied with the functional and aesthetic results of the operation. Bilateral congenital aplasia of nasal lower lateral cartilages is extremely rare. Paediatric rhinoplasty is imperative in such cases.