REVIEWS  ENDOSCOPIC SKULL BASE SURGERY 

Journal of Neurosurgical Sciences 2016 December;60(4):503-13

Copyright © 2016 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery for vascular lesions: a systematic review of the literature

Francisco VAZ-GUIMARAES ¹, Paul A. GARDNER ¹, Juan C. FERNANDEZ-MIRANDA ¹, Eric W. WANG ², Carl H. SNYDERMAN ² ✉

¹ Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; ² Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

INTRODUCTION: Endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery for vascular lesions is a controversial topic in neurosurgical practice. Concerns regarding the ability to effectively work through the relatively narrow and deep endonasal corridor and manage serious hemorrhagic complications such as inadvertent internal carotid artery (ICA) injury during endoscopic surgery (EES) are relevant sources of disagreement between neurosurgeons. Nevertheless, following careful preoperative evaluation, EES may be indicated for rare, well-selected cases, including medially-projecting paraclinoid aneurysms and cavernous malformations (CMs) located next to the ventral surface of the brainstem. To date, only small retrospective case series and case reports, attesting the safety, feasibility and technical aspects of the EES for aneurysm clipping, CM resection and arterio-venous malformations (AVMs), have been published in the literature.
EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: In this manuscript, we conducted a systematic review of the literature applying the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines on EES for treatment of intracranial vascular lesions. We discuss the indications, advantages, limitations and technical aspects of EES for vascular lesions.
EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS AND CONCLUSIONS: Although rarely indicated, EES may be considered as an alternative treatment and part of the armamentarium of cerebrovascular neurosurgeons dealing with these challenging lesions.