title: Tumors of the skull base: outcome and survival analysis of 77 cases.
abstract: We reviewed our experience with combined approaches to lesions that transcend the bones of the skull base. Seventy-seven skull base procedures were performed on 73 patients during a 10-year period from 1982 to 1992. There were 34 patients (44%) with region lesions (anterior), seven patients (9%) with region II lesions (anterior-lateral), 25 patients (32%) with region III lesions (lateral-posterior), and 11 patients (14%) with lesions that invaded more than one anatomic site. The histopathology in this series was quite variable, with 22 patients (29%) having squamous cell carcinoma and eight patients (10%) having basal cell carcinoma. Forty-one patients had surgery by an anterior approach and 38 patients had lateral approaches, with 18 undergoing an infratemporal approach and 29 undergoing temporal bone resections. Overall, 44% of the patients had a postoperative complication. Survival of this heterogeneous group of patients is 79% at 2 years and 71% at 4 years, with those patients with region II disease having a statistically significant poorer prognosis with no survivors at 4 years.
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Program, Toronto Hospital, Canada.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Irish
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Gullane
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gentili
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rutka
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003399:Craniotomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D004388:Dura Mater / Q000601:surgery; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012888:Skull Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome