CUTTING EDGE OTOLARYNGOLOGY 2013 

Otorinolaringologia 2013 March;63(1):17-25

Copyright © 2013 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Endoscopic surgery for the management of sinonasal neoplasms

Schaberg M. R. ¹, Tabaee A. ²

¹ Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, New York, NY, USA; ² Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Beth Israel Medical Center – Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

Endoscopic skull base surgery has recently emerged as an important treatment modality for neoplasms of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. The technical considerations and disease related outcomes have been an area of fervent exploration over the past decade. Although a number of important unanswered questions remain including the limitations and long-term outcomes of this procedure, the early clinical experience has been associated with favorable findings including improved perioperative morbidity and comparable tumor control rates. Integral to this procedure is an understanding of the indications and contraindications for endoscopic skull base surgery based on both the histopathological nature and anatomic extent of the lesion. Various surgical approaches have been described that allow for access to a number of the different sinonasal and anterior skull base sub-sites. Attaining an understanding of the technical aspects of these approaches and the utility of available instrumentation is critical to surgical success. Finally, as the field continues to evolve, a critical examination of the outcomes literature is necessary to define the role of the procedure. To date, the available literature has demonstrated favorable tumor control rates. However, the limitations associated with the available studies including the limited size and followup duration suggest the need for continued investigation. The goal of this review article is to describe the indications, surgical technique and outcomes associated with endoscopic surgery for sinonasal neoplasms.