Temporal lobe encephalocele appearing as a lytic lesion of the skull base and pterygoid process.
Meningoencephalocele is an uncommon condition in which brain tissue, meninges, or both protrude through a defect in the anterior cranial fossa and into the ethmoid sinus or nasal cavity. Much less often, brain tissue, meninges, or both protrude through a defect in the middle cranial fossa and into the sphenoid sinus. We report an unusual case of a middle fossa encephalocele that appeared as a lytic lesion of the skull base. The patient was treated successfully via a unique endoscopic transpterygoid approach--that is, an endoscopic approach through the maxillary sinus and pterygopalatine fossa and into the pterygoid process.
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, USA. wbolger@usuhs.mil
William E
WE
Bolger
Christine
C
Reger
D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004677:Encephalocele / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008588:Meningocele / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D019291:Skull Base / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013100:Sphenoid Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed