J Neurosurg Sci
-
Cavernous sinus (CS) invasion is one of the most unfavorable features of pituitary adenomas. The most widely used classification was proposed by Knosp in 1993 and revised in 2015. The aim of this study is to extend our previous experience by comparing the pre-operative neuroradiological assessment with the intra-operative endoscopic endonasal inspection in order to evaluate the real rate of CS invasion and analyze its correlation with the surgical outcome. ⋯ The endoscopic endonasal inspection is the most effective technique to detect CS invasion. Indeed, it can provide a direct visualization of the medial wall, permitting the assessment of its invasion and the management of those cases with diffuse involvement. We confirm that the revision to the Knosp classification has improved its prognostic role.
-
Review
Transorbital endoscopic approaches to the skull base: current concepts and future perspectives.
Transorbital endoscopic surgery is one of the most recent fields of skull base surgery. This paper presents the emerging applications of transorbital endoscopic approaches to the skull base and their current results on the treatment of selected extradural and intradural lesions, based on a review of meta-analysis and recent clinical series. ⋯ Minimally-invasive endoscopic skull base surgery has substantially evolved in the last decades through the collaboration of different teams around the world. The transorbital endoscopic approaches directed to the anterior and middle cranial base may represent safe and feasible techniques with great potential for new applications in the nearby future.