Complications of anterior craniofacial resection for management of malignant Sino nasal tumors involving anterior skull base

ABSTRACT

Management of malignant Sino nasal tumors with skull base involvement constitutes a challenging problem for head and neck surgeons. Surgery in this area confronts with life threatening risks of infections, orbital complications and cerebrospinal fluid leaks. Avoidance of these complications demand the co-operation between head and neck surgeons, neurosurgeons and radiotherapists, high surgical experience as well as proper reconstruction of skull base. The aim of this work is to study retrospectively the complications of anterior craniofacial resection for malignant Sino nasal tumors involving anterior skull base and to find out how to minimize these complications. In this study, we reviewed retrospectively the complications of twenty-one craniofacial resections done in Otolaryngology department Mansoura University Hospital. From September 1996 lo January 2004 with median follow-up period of 22 months. From this study, we found that the overall complications rate was about 30%. Anosmia. and psychological changes were the commonest complications and infectious complications were the least. We concluded that most of the complications of craniofacial resection are avoidable by good selection of patients, high surgical experience, and proper reconstruction of the anterior cranial base and good postoperative care