A Review Of Surgical Approaches To The Anterior Skull Base With Case Illustrations.

Abstract

The anterior skull base is home to a wide range of pathology that are either intracranial, sinonasal or orbital. Common intracranial pathologies in our setting include Olfactory groove meningiomas, Planum sphenoidale meningiomas, Tuberculum sellae meningiomas, Optic pathway gliomas and abscesses. These lesions pose a surgical challenge due to their intricate proximity to various critical structures such as the olfactory tracts, orbit, optic nerve, chiasm, and the circle of Willis. This paper illustrates the Subfrontal, and frontotemporal approaches using two cases of olfactory groove meningiomas and one case of a tuberculum sellae meningioma. In the authors opinion, the choice of surgical approach is key and is dependent on many factors such as the location of the tumor, experience of the surgeon, and the type of lesion. The surgical approach chosen is also a key determinant of the extent of resection of the tumor and the postoperative morbidity of the patient.