title: Lesions of the petrous apex: diagnosis and management.
abstract: Management of petrous apex pathology poses a unique challenge even to the most seasoned skull base surgeons. The central location in the skull base with adjacent critical neurovascular structures makes access to this region more than a trivial matter. Significant advances in diagnostic imaging have greatly facilitated the diagnosis of petrous apex lesions. The introduction of modern skull base surgery techniques also has provided skull base surgeons with numerous avenues to the petrous apex while significantly decreasing morbidity. The latest diagnostic and management strategies are discussed and an update of some of the more common pathologic entities is provided.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas-Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9035, USA. brandon.isaacson@utsouthwestern.edu
authors.forename: Brandon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Isaacson
authors.forename: J Walter
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kutz
authors.forename: Peter S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Roland
mesh_terms: D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018424:Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D002813:Chondrosarcoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D004428:Ear Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D004677:Encephalocele / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D015745:Granuloma, Foreign-Body / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D013517:Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D010579:Petrous Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol