A STUDY OF ANATOMY OF SELLAR AREAS AND ADJACENT STRUCTURES IN ENDOSCOPIC ENDONASAL TRANSSPHENOIDAL SURGERY / 解放军医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To provide anatomical basis for endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery for excision of sellar tumors. Methods The relationship between ostia of sphenoidal sinus and sellar areas of 25 heads of adult cadavers, and the structure of pituitary fossa and the relationship of the anterior-posterior clinoid processes of 21 heads of adult cadavers were observed and measured. At the same time, structure of 9 fresh heads of adult cadavers were observed with the operating endoscope. Results The distance between the ostia of the sphenoidal sinus to the tuberculum sellae, internal carotid artery, optic nerve and dorsum sellae were 14.6?3.0mm, 13.7?2.2mm, 11.6?1.8mm, and 22.6?3.2mm, respectively. The sagittal diameter of the pituitary fossa was 10.2?1.5mm. The transverse diameter of the pituitary fossa was 1.4?2.4mm. The distance between two anterior clinoid processes was 25.0?3.0mm. The distance between two posterior clinoid processes was 15.8?3.3mm. The distance between anterior clinoid process and ipsilateral posterior clinoid process was 7.8?1.7mm. The distance between anterior clinoid process to contralateral posterior clinoid process was 21.8?2.4mm. Conclusion These results would provide the surgeons a stereoscopic image about sellar areas, so that the operative field could be accurately defined in endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery for the excision of sellar tumors.