title: Evolution of surgical approaches in the treatment of petroclival meningiomas: a retrospective review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined the surgical approaches used at a single institution to treat petroclival meningioma and evaluated changes in method utilization over time.
  
  
  METHODS
  Craniotomies performed to treat petroclival meningioma between September of 1994 and July of 2005 were examined retrospectively. We reviewed 46 patients (mean follow-up, 3.6 yr). Techniques included combined petrosal or transcochlear approaches (15% of patients), retrosigmoid craniotomies with or without some degree of petrosectomy (59% of patients), orbitozygomatic craniotomies (7% of patients), and combined orbitozygomatic-retrosigmoid approaches (19% of patients). In 18 patients, the tumor extended supratentorially. Overall, the rate of gross total resection was 43%. Seven patients demonstrated progression over a mean of 5.9 years. No patients died. At 36 months, the progression-free survival rate for patients treated without petrosal approaches was 96%. Of 14 patients treated with stereotactic radiosurgery, none developed progression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Over the study period, a diminishing proportion of patients with petroclival meningioma were treated using petrosal approaches. Utilization of the orbitozygomatic and retrosigmoid approaches alone or in combination provided a viable alternative to petrosal approaches for treatment of petroclival meningioma. Regardless of approach, progression-free survival rates were excellent over short-term follow-up period.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurological Surgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona 85013, USA. neuropub@chw.edu
authors.forename: Nicholas C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Bambakidis
authors.forename: U Kumar
authors.initials: UK
authors.lastname: Kakarla
authors.forename: Louis J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nakaji
authors.forename: Randall W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.forename: C Phillip
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Daspit
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Spetzler