Main points of clinical application of endoscopic skull base anatomy

Abstract

A number of neurosurgeons and otorhinolaryngological surgeons began performing purely endoscopic pituitary surgery since 1990s, the traditional approach of microsurgical skull base surgery has been changed by endoscopic technology so far. With the development and improvement of endoscopic skull base surgery for nearly 20 years, endoscopy can provide detailed visualization of deep brain structures during surgery. At the same time, as the anatomy of skull base is more familiar to neurosurgeons, the concept of extended endoscopic skull base surgery is presented, allowing surgical exposures from axis to olfactory groove, and to infratemporal fossa and foramen ovale laterally. This article intends to summarize the clinical application of endoscopic related anatomy of skull base.

DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2019.03.005