Implant-retained skull prosthesis to cover a large defect of the hairy skull resulting from treatment of a basal cell carcinoma: A clinical report

Skin carcinoma, particularly basal cell carcinoma, and its treatment can result in large defects of the hairy skull. A 53-year-old man is described who was surgically treated for a large basal cell carcinoma invading the skin and underlying tissue at the top of the hairy skull. Treatment consisted of resecting the tumor and external part of the skull bone. To protect the brain and to cover the defect of the hairy skull, an acrylic resin skull prosthesis with hair was designed to mask the defect. The skull prosthesis was retained on 8 extraoral implants placed at the margins of the defect in the skull bone. The patient was satisfied with the treatment outcome.