• Malte Ottenhausen, Andrew F Alalade, Kavelin Rumalla, Prakash Nair, Ali Baaj, Roger Hartl, Ashutosh Kacker, Jeffrey P Greenfield, Vijay K Anand, and Theodore H Schwartz.
• Department of Neurosurgery, Weill Cornell Medical School, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Universitätsmedizin Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
• World Neurosurg. 2018 Aug 1; 116: e571-e576.

BackgroundBasilar invagination can result from systemic diseases that can weaken structural integrity of the craniocervical junction. Definitive treatment often requires ventral decompression and posterior decompression and fusion. Endonasal odontoidectomy is a relatively new minimal access procedure; quality of life (QOL) after this procedure has not been reported.MethodsWe reviewed a consecutive database of endonasal odontoidectomy cases and identified patients having posterior decompression and fusion. Two QOL questionnaires were administered postoperatively: Sino-Nasal Outcome Test and 36-Item Short Form Survey. Comparisons with other endonasal or Chiari procedures were performed.ResultsThe study comprised 14 patients; 79% had Chiari malformation in addition to basilar invagination. Mean follow-up was 17.2 months. Symptomatic improvement occurred in 78.6% after surgery. Average postoperative Sino-Nasal Outcome Test scores were 39.2 ± 17.93, with worst scores in areas related to fatigue and sleep patterns but not nasal function. 36-Item Short Form Survey scores were lower in areas of physical function and general health but better for emotional health and pain. Compared with patients undergoing Chiari malformation surgery without endonasal odontoid resection or fusion, patients undergoing odontoidectomy had higher QOL in areas of role emotional, emotional well-being, and pain but worse QOL in general health and role physical.ConclusionsPatients undergoing posterior decompression and fusion with endonasal odontoidectomy do well after surgery with respect to nasal function and emotional health. Patients who also have severe basilar invagination associated with systemic diseases demonstrate reduced QOL after surgery in areas of physical function and sleep leading to fatigue, irritability, and concentration difficulty, likely related to their systemic disease.Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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