Objective When the use of the nasoseptal flap for endoscopic skull base reconstruction has been precluded, the posterior pedicle inferior turbinate flap is a viable option for small midclival defects. Limitations of the inferior turbinate flap include its small surface area and limited arc of rotation. We describe a novel extended inferior turbinate flap that expands the reconstructive applicat...

Advances in imaging and endoscopic techniques have improved the ability to diagnose, localize, and treat in a less morbid fashion CSF leaks of the anterior skull base. An appreciation for the mechanism of leak and of the relationship between CSF production and absorption must be kept in mind when individualizing a repair. Increased CSF pressure caused by overproduction or underabsorption may re...

OBJECTIVE To report our experience with the pectoralis major myocutaneous flap (PMF) for the reconstruction of composite lateral temporal bone defects extending beyond the temporal line. DESIGN Retrospective review and illustration of specific technical modifications. SETTING Academic tertiary care center. PATIENTS Eight patients with composite lateral skull base defects that were reconst...

• Admit the patient to an intensive care unit for 24 h after surgery. Introduction The concept of a broad subcranial approach to the entire anterior skull base was first introduced as an alternative to the traditional craniofacial approach. The subcranial approach has several major advantages. (1) It affords a broad exposure of the anterior skull base from below rather than through the transfro...

Endoscopic skull base surgery has undergone rapid advancement in the past decade moving from pituitary surgery to suprasellar lesions and now to a myriad of lesions extending from the cribriform plate to C2 and laterally out to the infratemporal fossa and petrous apex. Evolution of several technological advances as well as advances in understanding of endoscopic anatomy and the development of s...

Skull base osteomyelitis may develop as a complication of paranasal sinusitis or other regional infectious process or as an unfortunate sequelae of iatrogenic injury or trauma. Afflicted patients generally have some form of systemic immunocompromise, most often diabetes, or a history of external beam radiotherapy for a head and neck malignancy with the radiation portal encompassing the area of ...