title: Cranial base surgery: results in 183 patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To learn about the effects of cranial base surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohort study with a mean follow-up of 30 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based.
  
  
  METHODS
  A consecutive sample of 183 patients who underwent cranial base surgery; 118 patients had malignant skull base tumors, the majority of which were previously treated; 50 had benign tumors; 9 had congenital malformations of the skull base; 3 had inflammatory lesions, and 3 had traumatic defects of the skull base.
  
  
  METHODS
  Disease-free interval, overall survival, and rate of complications and functional status.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cranial base surgery was followed by radiotherapy (in previously untreated patients).
  
  
  RESULTS
  After completion of follow-up (mean, 30 months), 30 (25.4%) patients had died of their malignant tumors and 8 (6.8%) had died of other causes. One patient (0.84%) was lost to follow-up. The overall cancer survival rate without regard to histologic type was 67% (63% with no evidence of disease). Among the patients who were treated for benign neoplasm, 72% had no evidence of disease at a mean follow-up of 39 months. The group of patients with congenital malformations and inflammatory and traumatic lesions demonstrated successful correction of their presurgical problem with skull base surgery. One patient (who had invasive aspergillosis) died of disease. The overall surgical-medical mortality rate was 2%; the complication rate was 33%, and the Karnofsky performance score was improved or unchanged after surgery in 83% of patients. The average duration of surgery, number of blood transfusions used, and length of the hospital stay were 10 hours, 3 units, and 15 days, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cranial base surgery is a valid surgical technique for treatment of cranial base afflictions. In this study it was found to be beneficial in controlling benign and malignant disease and to be the treatment of choice for selected congenital malformations, trauma, and inflammatory lesions.
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA.
authors.forename: I P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Janecka
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sen
authors.forename: L N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Sekhar
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramasastry
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Curtin
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Amico
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012886:Skull / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery*; D012888:Skull Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome