title: [Skull base operations via pre-auricular temporo-sphenoidal approach and reconstructions of their defects].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the surgical approach for cranial base tumors removal.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten cases of cranial base tumors were thoroughly resected via pre-auriculal temporo-sphenoidal approach. Among them, 9 cases with defects of cranial base or nasopharynx were reconstructed with the temporal muscle and fascia in the same operative field.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients were followed up from 21 months to 7 years. In 2 cases with recurrent cranial base tumors 1 died of recurrence, 1 lived with the tumor. Eight cases achieved good clinical results without severe complications except 1, who got necrosis of temporal muscle.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The preauricular temporo-sphenoidal approach not only provides an excellent exposure to the compartments of the skull base with a limited injury to the normal tissues, but also offers a convenient way in reconstructing defects with temporal muscle in the same operative field. The incision scar is hidden and the eosmetic affect small. It has been shown that the approach can offer some advantages in surgical treatment of cranial base tumors selectively.
authors.affiliation: First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008441:Maxillary Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000601:surgery; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D019292:Skull Base Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013524:Surgical Flaps