title: [Endoscopic transoropharyngeal approach to the ventral region of craniocervical junction].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To discuss the surgical methods and clinical effect of endoscopic transoropharyngeal approach to deal with the lesions of the ventral region of the craniocervical junction.
  
  
  METHODS
  From August 2002 to November 2006, endoscopic transoropharyngeal approach was taken to deal with the lesions of the ventral region of the craniocervical junction, including 6 patients with chordoma, 5 patients with craniovertebral malformation, 3 patients with skull-base invagination combined with Chiari malformation, 2 patients with odontoid fracture . 0 degrees endoscope was used to deal with the lesions of middle and lower clivus, 30 degrees endoscope was used to deal with the lesions of craniovertebral malformation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Follow-up ranged from 2 to 48 months. Three patients with chordoma recurred. All patients with craniovertebral malformation recovered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endoscopic transoropharyngeal approach is a new method to deal with the lesions of the ventral region of the craniocervical junction, and it has many advantages, such as direct approach, good exploration, micro-invasive, wide operation space, and good results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China. Liugang60@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: Hai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xue-Bing
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jin-Ling
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006257:Head; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck; D009777:Occipital Bone / Q000473:pathology*; D009960:Oropharynx / Q000473:pathology*; D019291:Skull Base / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult