title: Cranial base approaches to posterior circulation aneurysms.
abstract: Aneurysms arising from the posterior circulation, especially when they are large and complex, continue to present a technical challenge. The development of cranial base strategies and principles has added to surgical management options. The authors used one of four cranial base approaches for the treatment of 30 patients with large and/or complex aneurysms arising from the vertebrobasilar circulation. These approaches included the extradural temporopolar, combined petrosal, retrolabyrinthine-transsigmoid, and the extreme-lateral inferior transtubercular exposure. The indications, technique, and results of each approach in this series are discussed, and a management paradigm is suggested for such aneurysms.
authors.affiliation: Lahey Hitchcock Medical Center, Burlington, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Day
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Giannotta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000601:surgery; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D002648:Child; D003399:Craniotomy / Q000379:methods; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000601:surgery*; D002542:Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008416:Mastoid / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D010579:Petrous Bone / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D019291:Skull Base / Q000601:surgery*; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000601:surgery; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000601:surgery; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000601:surgery