Supernumerary nostril: A rare congenital anomaly
A 6-month-old male infant presented to the Outpatient Department of Plastic Surgery and Burns of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital at Ludhiana with nasal deformity []. He was the first born male child to a mother aged 26 years and father aged 29 years, both agriculturists. He was born through a full-term normal vaginal delivery.\nThere was no history of such similar deformity or any facial cleft and or deformity in the paternal and maternal side of the family for three known generations. On examination, a supernumerary nostril was located above the left nostril with a smaller but similar contour of the nostril. The internal and external diameter of the accessory nostril was 2 and 5 mm and ended blindly at 2 mm depth. The underlying ala was depressed, but the normal nostrils were of equal diameter and projection. There was no flaring or expansive effect on crying in the supernumerary nostril. There were no other congenital malformations.\nInfant was taken up for surgery under general anesthesia. Incision was marked all along the inner circumference of the supernumerary nostril [] and the blind ending nasal tract was circumferentially excised []. There was no communication between the supernumerary and normal nostril. The skin margins were sutured with 5-0 nylon with an additional excision of 1 mm skin on medial aspect to avoid dog ear formation. A full-thickness (through and through) suture was passed 3 mm posterior to the suture line to compress the excessive bulge and to collapse the dead space []. The histopathology of the excised tract showed covering of stratified squamous epithelium with presence of skin appendages in the dermis [].\nPostoperative period was uneventful. Patient has mild bulge in the involved nostril region which is expected to settle down over a period of time [].