title: Extended frontotemporal epidural approach to cavernous sinus: surgical anatomy and technique.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the surgical technique of trans-frontotemporal extended epidural approach to the cavernous sinus.
  
  
  METHODS
  A microsurgical study on the exposure and dissection of the cavernous sinus and its surrounding structures on cadavers was performed via an extended epidural approach with frontotemporal skull-base craniectomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The extended epidural approach offered an appropriate exposure of the cavernous sinus with minimal brain retraction and nerve damage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The extended frontotemporal epidural surgical approach is superior to the routine intradural or combined epi- and intradural approaches. It is suitable for most of the cavernous sinus surgeries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical University, Shanghai 200040, China.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D002426:Cavernous Sinus / Q000601:surgery*; D004824:Epidural Space / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*