Advances and technical standards in neurosurgery
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Adv Tech Stand Neurosurg · Jan 2008
ReviewExtended endoscopic endonasal approach to the midline skull base: the evolving role of transsphenoidal surgery.
The evolution of the endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal technique, which was initially reserved only for sellar lesions through the sphenoid sinus cavity, has lead in the last decades to a progressive possibility to access the skull base from the nose. This route allows midline access and visibility to the suprasellar, retrosellar and parasellar space while obviating brain retraction, and makes possible to treat transsphenoidally a variety of relatively small midline skull base and parasellar lesions traditionally approached transcranially. We report our current knowledge of the endoscopic anatomy of the midline skull base as seen from the endonasal perspective, in order to describe the surgical path and structures whose knowledge is useful during the operation. ⋯ Epistaxis and airway difficulties were never observed. It is difficult todav to define the boundaries and the future limits of the extended approaches because the work is still in progress. Such extended endoscopic approaches, although at a first glance might be considered something that everyone can do, require an advanced and specialized training.
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Adv Tech Stand Neurosurg · Jan 2008
ReviewTumor-biology and current treatment of skull-base chordomas.
Chordomas are rare, slow growing tumors of the axial skeleton, which derive from the remnants of the fetal notochord. They can be encountered anywhere along the axial skeleton, most commonly in the sacral area, skull base and less commonly in the spine. Chordomas have a benign histopathology but exhibit malignant clinical behavior with invasive, destructive and metastatic potential. ⋯ The outcome is dictated primarily by the intrinsic biology of the tumor and treatment seems only to have a secondary impact. To date we only have a limited understanding this biology; however better understanding is likely to improve treatment outcome. Hereby we present a review of the current knowledge and experience on the tumor biology, diagnosis and treatment of chordomas.