RESUMO
Objective To evaluate the value of endoscopic endonasal approach in the surgical treatment of skull base lesions. Methods From May 2002 to December 2006, 112 patients with skull base lesions were treated by endoscopic endonasal surgery. Among them, 39 cases had cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, 4 pituitary adenoma, 3 meningoencephalocele, 9 sphenoethmoidal cyst, 2 sphenoiditis complicated with ploypi, 12 fungal sphenoiditis, 11 inverted papilloma, 6 nasopharyngeal fibroangioma, 2 ossifying fibroma, 2 fibrous dysplasia, 7 chordoma, 2 craniopharyngioma, 10 squamous cell carcinoma, 1 undifferentiated carcinoma, and 2 papillomatous change. Results Follow-up ranged from 6 to 60 months. All the operations were completed under an endoscope. In 20 cases including 8 patients with squamous cell carcinoma, 1 undifferentiated carcinoma, 7 chordoma, 2 craniopharyngioma, and 2 fibrous dysplasia, the lesion was removed subtotally. In the 39 patients with CSF leak, the lesion was cured after the first operation in 31 patients (79.5%), after the second operation in 4, and the third in 4; the final success rate was 100%. One of the patients with meningoencephalocele showed recurrence complicated CSF leakage 2 months after the operation, and then was cured by re-operation using endoscopy. In the 11 patients with inverted papilloma, 1 had recurrence 11 months after the operation, and was re-treated by lateral rhinotomy. One of the patients who had fungal sphenoiditis developed recurrence 4 month after the operation and received endoscopic endonasal surgery for the second time. One patient who had CSF leak before the operation developed intracranial infections after the endoscopic surgery. Conclusion Endoscopic endonasal surgery is a safe, effective, and minimally invasive approach to treat skull base lesions. Clinicians should understand the operation indications precisely, especially for malignant tumors.