Pitanguy's line is one of the most recognisable and famous surgical landmarks. This journal club analyses the original publication in the 1960s.
Summary Card
Level of Evidence: Case Series
Background
Pitanguy believed the "parotid plexus" suffered "constant variations, hampering from the surgical viewpoint, the precise location of the facial branches".
Methods
An analysis of "20 heads" to identify variations in the location of the frontal branch of the facial nerve.
Results
A "great variation in number and disposition" of the temporofrontal branches but in a constant direction: 0.5cm inferior to the tragus to 1.5cm above the lateral eyebrow. It can also be used as a surrogate marker for the frontal branch of the temporal artery.
Conclusion
This case series shows a constant direction but a significant number of variations in the frontal branch of the facial nerve.
Powerpoint Slides
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