The ossification of the anterior skull base, especially the lamina cribrosa, has been studied by computed tomography and histopathology. Sixteen human fetuses, (referred to our laboratory for pathological examination after spontaneous abortion between 18 and 32 weeks of gestation) and three infants, (1, 2 and 6 years of age, respectively) were examined. The cartilaginous preformation of the ant...

Endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery (EESBS) is undergoing a remarkable evolution as in the last two decades it shifted from pituitary surgery to a myriad of approaches extending from the cribriform plate to C2 and laterally to the petrous apex and to the infratemporal fossa. The collaboration with ENT surgeons, technological advances in the field of instrumentation and endoscopic systems, a...

OBJECTIVES One of the major challenges of cranial base surgery is reconstruction of the dural defect. Following a craniofacial resection, the standard reconstructive technique is direct suture repair of the dural defect with a fascial graft and rotation of an anteriorly based pericranial scalp flap to cover the dura. The introduction of endoscopic techniques and an endonasal approach to the ven...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review on the morphological characteristics of the skull base (flexion, anterior length and posterior length) and the concomitant development of malocclusions, by comparing differences in dimorphism, ethnicity and age. METHODS The articles were selected by means of electronic search on BBO, MEDLINE and LILACS databases from 1966 to 2...

OBJECTIVES Expansion of the clinical indications for ablative endoscopic endonasal approaches has behooved us to search for new reconstruction alternatives. We present the anatomic foundations of a novel anterior pedicled lateral wall flap (Hadad-Bassagaisteguy 2 or HB2 flap) for the vascularized reconstruction of anterior skull base defects. STUDY DESIGN Anatomic description. Feasibility stu...

BACKGROUND Craniofacial resection (CFR) has been regarded as a standard treatment for various tumors involving the anterior skull base. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of CFR for the patients with anterior skull base malignancies in our hospital. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed 17 patients with anterior skull base malignancies treated with CFR between 2001 and 2012. ...

Skull base surgical defects present unique challenges to anatomic and functional reconstruction. Fortunately, many endonasal skull base defects are successfully managed with a variety of local and regional reconstructive techniques. However, when prior surgery or radiotherapy eliminates the use of these local and regional reconstructive options, more elaborate free tissue transfer techniques ar...

Surgical resection plays a main role in the management of complex tumors involving the skull base. Advances in reconstructive surgery has made these resections to be carried out with less morbidity and better outcome in terms of disease control and functional rehabilitation. The reconstruction methods range from utilizing local galeal tissue to distant tissues transferred as free ß aps. The rec...

OBJECTIVES We sought to evaluate the effectiveness of a number of surgical maneuvers in nasal reconstruction of a diverse population of patients undergoing skull base surgery. Study design We conducted a retrospective review of a cohort of patients undergoing nasal reconstruction during surgery of the anterior skull base and craniovertebral junction. METHODS All patients undergoing skull base...

BACKGROUND Some problems have been found in the usually adopted combined approach for the removal of intra-extracranial tumors in skull base. Herein, we described a pure endoscopic transnasal or transoral approach (ETA) for the removal of intra-extracranial tumors in various skull base regions. METHODS Retrospectively, clinical data, major surgical complications, pre- and postoperative images...