Dural reconstruction with fascia, titanium mesh, and bone screws: technical note.
OBJECTIVE
After the resection of cranial base tumors, there may not be enough free dural margin left for reconstruction after involved bone and dura have been removed. In such a situation, dural reconstruction becomes a problem. We propose a new technique of dural closure in such cases.


METHODS
A fascial graft is prepared from either fascia lata, abdominal fascia, pericranium, or temporal fascia and is trimmed to a size slightly larger than that of the dural defect. The fascial graft is placed over the dural defect and affixed to the underlying bone with a piece of titanium mesh, titanium screws, or both. The graft is then reinforced with fibrin glue.


RESULTS
This method of dural reconstruction has been used in five patients with basal meningiomas. Three were in the petromastoid area, and two were in the planum-ethmoid area. None of these patients experienced postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leak, and none experienced any complications related to the reconstruction.


CONCLUSIONS
This technique of dural reconstruction can be used in selected cases of basal tumors without enough free dural margin to sew into a fascial graft.
Sekhar
L N
LN
Mid-Atlantic Brain and Spine Institutes, Annandale, Virginia 22003, USA. lsekhar@aol.com
Sarma
S
S
Morita
A
A
D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001863:Bone Screws; D004388:Dura Mater / Q000601:surgery*; D005205:Fascia / Q000637:transplantation*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008579:Meningioma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019292:Skull Base Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D014025:Titanium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D014025:Titanium