Surgical Limitations of the Microscopic Transciliary Supraorbital Keyhole Approach to the Anterior and Middle Skull Base.
Publication/Presentation Date
11-1-2022
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The microscopic transciliary SupraOrbital keyhole (mtSO) approach has been used for a wide variety of anterior and middle fossa pathologies, including aneurysms, meningiomas, craniopharyngiomas, and other skull-base tumors. Several clinical series have proven its efficacy and safety, but detailed anatomical demarcations of the anterior and middle cranial base exposure are lacking. Our aim was to define the surgical limitations of the mtSO approach to the ipsilateral and contralateral anterior and middle skull base.
METHODS: Five cadaveric specimens (10 sides) were studied with image guidance to illustrate the limits of the surgical exposure. In addition, 30 dry skulls were used to measure the working distances between the craniotomy and key bony landmarks of the mtSO approach.
RESULTS: Surgical exposure at the anterior skull base covered the area between the medial half of the contra- and the medial two-thirds of the ipsilateral sphenoid wing including both optic nerves and interoptic space. The anterior limit at the midline was the sphenoethmoidal suture. Ipsilateral anterior clinoidectomy permitted exposure of the superior orbital fissure, which defined the anteromedial limit at the middle fossa, whereas the anterolateral limit was defined by the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve. Moreover, the posteromedial and posterolateral limits were the posterior clinoid process and the petrous ridge, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings define the surgical limitations of the mtSO approach for the treatment of anterior and middle cranial base pathologies. These limits can be reliably identified on imaging studies allowing assessment of exposure to guide preoperative case selection.
Volume
167
First Page
1440
Last Page
1440
ISSN
1878-8769
Published In/Presented At
Borghei-Razavi, H., Eguiluz-Melendez, A., Wenping, X., Truong, H. Q., Fernandes-Cabral, D., Najera, E., Stefko, T., Fernandez-Miranda, J. C., & Gardner, P. A. (2022). Surgical Limitations of the Microscopic Transciliary Supraorbital Keyhole Approach to the Anterior and Middle Skull Base. World neurosurgery, 167, e1440–e1447. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2022.09.071
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
PubMedID
36210606
Department(s)
Department of Surgery, Fellows and Residents, Department of Surgery Residents
Document Type
Article