title: Skull base reconstruction after anterior craniofacial resection.
abstract: Anterior craniofacial resection has become a popular operation for nasoethmoid tumours involving the skull base. Many papers have been published since the first by Ketcham et al. in 1963. However, there is still controversy about the method for reconstruction of an anterior skull base defect after resection. The simple reconstruction of Ketcham has been followed by more sophisticated procedures using galeal-pericranial flaps, free flaps with microvascular anastomosis and bony or alloplastic augmentation. The main purposes of the reconstructions are to prevent brain herniation, to avoid intracranial infections, to diminish the risk of CSF leakage and to avoid pneumocephalus. From the relevant literature and our own experience of 168 anterior craniofacial resections, we conclude that a pedicled pericranial flap is the best choice for closing a cranial base defect.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cantù
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Solero
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pizzi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nardo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mattavelli
mesh_terms: D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid; D003399:Craniotomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D004388:Dura Mater / Q000293:injuries; D005005:Ethmoid Sinus / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011007:Pneumocephalus / Q000209:etiology; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality; D019291:Skull Base / Q000601:surgery*; D019292:Skull Base Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D013101:Sphenoid Sinus / Q000601:surgery; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection