Transfacial nevrokirurgi ved svulster i skallebasis

Background. Surgical approach to tumours involving the skull base is very difficult, and standard neurosurgical craniotomies are often insufficient to visualize tumours in the posteromedial areas of the anterior cranial fossa, as well as tumours basomedially in the middle cranial fossa. Material and methods. Two patients with skull base tumours (chordoma and craniopharyngeoma) are presented. The surgical aspects of transfacial, transmaxillary skull base surgery are discussed. Results. A nine-year-old girl with clivus chrodoma and a nine-year-old boy with craniopharyngeoma were successfully operated with transfacial skull base surgery. Interpretation. The establishment of multidisciplinary craniofacial teams has made it possible to operate tumours located in the central, medial areas of the anterior and middle cranial fossae via transfacial approaches.