Combined Simultaneous Multiportal Approach via Minimally Invasive Transciliary and Endoscopic Endonasal Approaches for Tumors Invading Both the Skull Base and the Sinonasal Area.

BACKGROUND: A combined transcranial and transfacial approach has long been the gold standard for surgical management of large tumors with sinonasal and skull base involvement. The extended endoscopic endonasal approach for such pathologies has its advantages, but it has flaws as well, such as anatomic limitations and more ponderous skull base reconstruction and thus higher risk of postoperative complications. Our primary technique for surgical treatment of these pathologies has been a combination of transfacial and minimally invasive transciliary supraorbital keyhole approaches. With the aim to further minimize invasiveness, potential complications, and unsatisfactory aesthetic outcomes during surgical treatment of large tumors invading both the sinonasal area and the skull base, we abandoned the transfacial approach and simultaneously combined the transciliary supraorbital keyhole approach with the endoscopic endonasal approach. METHODS: The well-known microscope-assisted minimally invasive approach via a transciliary supraorbital keyhole craniotomy was combined with the endoscopic endonasal approach. RESULTS: Six patients with different histologic types of tumors affecting the sinonasal area and the skull base were operated on. The mean operative time was 3 hours, there were no unexpected intraoperative or postoperative complications, and total tumor removal was achieved in each patient. None of the patients experienced complications associated with the surgery during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Our combined simultaneous multiportal approach enables total tumor eradication with reduced operative time and is associated with minimal intraoperative and postoperative complications, low mortality rate, and excellent cosmetic results.

Combined Minimally Invasive Supraciliary and Transfacial Approach for Large Tumors with Skull Base and Sinonasal Involvement.

BACKGROUND: Tumors invading both the anterior skull base and the sinonasal area have traditionally been accessed via largely invasive open craniofacial approaches. Minimally invasive extended endoscopic endonasal approaches have recently become increasingly available but have anatomical limitations and require incremental experience and thus high patient volume. Our objective was to assess the applicability of a novel combination of the minimally invasive supraciliary incision and the limited maxillofacial osteotomy as a combined surgical approach for large tumors invading both the anterior skull base and the sinonasal area. METHODS: The well-established technique of supraciliary incision with a 2.5 × 3.0-cm craniotomy was combined for the first time with limited facial translocation approach. RESULTS: This series involves 11 cases (female/male ratio 4:7; ranging in age from 6 to 61 years). Intracranial tumor propagation with intranasal and ethmoidal extension was detected in all patients. The pathologic diagnoses included adenocarcinomas, esthesioneuroblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, sinonasal papilloma, meningioma, and neurofibroma. The postoperative approach-related mortality rate was zero. No case of cerebrospinal fluid leak was detected. The 3-year survival rate was 70%. CONCLUSIONS: The limited transfacial approach in combination with a supraciliary extension is associated with minimal mortality and morbidity and facilitates gross total tumor removal. We highly recommend this approach for the surgical treatment of large tumors invading both the anterior skull base and the sinonasal area, especially for those being out of indication for extended endoscopic endonasal surgery.

[ENDOSCOPIC REMOVAL OF TUBERCULUM SELLAE MENINGEOMA THROUGH ENDONASAL TRANSSPHENOIDAL APPROACH]. / TUBERCULUM SELLAE MENINGEOMA ENDOSZKÓPOS ELTÁVOLÍTÁSA ENDONASALIS TRANSSPHENOIDALIS FELTÁRÁSBÓL.

Experiences acquired in our department with endoscope assisted microsurgical transsphenoidal pituitary surgery encouraged us to expanded the endoscopic approach to skull base lesions. The endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach proved to be less traumatic to the traditional microsurgical approaches, yet very effective. The endoscopic transsphenoidal technique was applied in a patient havin anterior skull base tumor. The patient was a 49-year-old woman with several months history of left visual defect. The magnetic resonance (MR) scans of the skull revealed a midline anterior fossa space-occupying lesion measuring 21 x 16 x 22 mm located on planum sphenoidale, tuberculum sellae and intrasellar. The tumor compressed both optic nerves and optic chiasm. Total resection of the tumor was achieved by use of endoscopic transnasal, transsphenoidal technique. This is the first reported case of an anterior fossa meningeoma being treated by an endoscopic transsphenoidal technique in Hungary.

[Endoscopic, posterior transseptal pituitary surgery--learning curve of the surgical technique and equipment in 61 operations]. / Endoszkópos posterior transseptalis hypophysismutét. A sebészi technika fejlodése a teljes endoszkópos tumoreltávolításig 61 eset elemzése alapján.

INTRODUCTION: The removal of hypophyseal tumor by transsphenoidal pituitary surgery using microsurgical instruments was first performed over 100 years ago. Operating techniques for this surgery are constantly being renewed, first by using a microscope and later on with the use of an endoscop. The authors provide an overview of the minimal invasive posterior transseptal-transsphenoidal aproach with the combined utilization of classical techniques with the assistance of the endoscop. METHOD: Sixty-one patients (33 female, 28 male, 21-84 yrs) were treated for sellar region tumor resection using an endonasal transsphenoidal aproach with the help of an endoscope. Follow ups were performed within 2-21 months. RESULTS: Total tumor resection was successful in 91.8%, and partial resection in 8.2% of the patients. The rate of complications using the endoscopic method was not higher compared to that of the classical microscopic method. There was no major bleeding in any of the cases. Adverse events such as minor epistaxis occurred in 4.9%, transitional diabetes insipidus in 6.5%, inraoperative CSF leak in 16.67%, postoperative CSF leak in 11.5% and meningitis in 8.2% of the patients. After the operation the pathological hormonal production stoped in all patients except in two patients who were acromegalic. However their GH level normalized and they did not require further treatment, the IGF-1 still remained high. CONCLUSION: The success of the surgical treatment is based on both, the proficient pre- and postoperative endocrinological care, and the minimal invasive surgical technique. The endoscope was used partially or continuously during the operation for better visualization of the operation field in multiple angles (30 degrees, 45 degrees). It was useful in differentiating between normal and tumorous glandular tissue, and also offered an enhanced view of the intrasellar (via hydroscopy) and parasellar region. Moreover the endoscopic method is able to decrease the operating time, reduce blood loss. In different stages of the surgery, depending on the anatomical and pathological situation, switching back and forth from microscope to endoscope technique, gives us the benefit of a clearer view in each situation.

[Factors affecting the development of chronic hydrocephalus following subarachnoid hemorrhage, with special emphasis on the role of ventricular and lumbar drainage]. / A subarachnoidealis verzest követô krónikus hydrocephalus kialakulását befolyásoló tényezôk vizsgálata, különös tekintettel a kamrai és az ágyéki liquordrenázs szerepére.

Hydrocephalus is a common complication of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Numerous studies have dealt so far with the triggering cause of the chronic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) absorptional and circulatory disorders. Despite the fact that these studies gave several different explanations, most of them agreed on the fact that the obstruction of CSF pathway has a crucial role in the development of the clinical feature. By examining three years' clinical cases, the authors were trying to find out which are the factors that influence the development of the late hydrocephalus which follows the subarachnoid hemorrhage; moreover to find out if the incidence of the latter may be decreased by a continuous drainage of CSF which advances its purification. One hundred and seventy-one patients (one hundred and twenty-seven females) were treated by aneurysmal SAH at Department of Neurosurgery, University of Szeged between 2002 and 2005. The following parameters were recorded: gender, clinical state, risk factors (smoking, consuming alcohol and hypertension), the method and the time of surgical treatment as well as CSF drainage. The studies have shown that the risk of incidence of chronic hydrocephalus were higher in men and in case of severe clinical state with severe SAH. The disturbed CSF circulation and/or absorption were positively correlated with consuming alcohol and hypertension, while smoking did not affect it. The rate of the incidence of chronic hydrocephalus among our patients was lower (5.8%) compared to the results of other studies (7-40%) suggests that disturbance of CSF circulation and/or absorption may be avoided in the majority of cases by continuous external ventricular or lumbar CSF drainage, which is applied routinly.

[Schizoid psychosis during cannabis intake (case report)]. / Szkizoid pszichózis kannabisz fogyasztás után (esetbemutatás).

UNLABELLED: Three young people developed psychosis during/ after cannabis intake. The 17-year-old male after only a few marihuana cigarettes, the 22-year-old patient after two years of addiction developed schizoid psychosis; the 20-year-old patient after six years of cannabis addiction had schizoaffective psychosis. The first two patients become symptom-free on the antipsychotics and during the drug-free period. The third patient, who had cannabis during the psychotic symptoms, still has the schizoid psychosis. CONCLUSIONS: The connection between cannabis and psychosis is clear in our three patients. Marihuana is working on the dopamine system and may cause schizoid psychosis, sometimes permanent psychosis. Cannabis, this light drug might not be a "safe" agent.