title: Removal of a foreign body from the skull base using a customized computer-designed guide bar.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Foreign bodies located at the base of the skull pose a surgical challenge. Here, a customized computer-designed surgical guide bar was designed to facilitate removal of a skull base foreign body.
  
  
  METHODS
  Within 24h of the patient's presentation, a guide bar and mounting platform were designed to remove a foreign body located adjacent to the transverse process of the atlas and pressing against the internal carotid artery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The foreign body was successfully located and removed using the custom designed guide bar and computer operative planning. Ten months postoperatively the patient was free of complaints and lacked any complications such as restricted opening of the mouth or false aneurysm. The inferior alveolar nerve damage noted immediately postoperatively (a consequence of mandibular osteotomy) was slightly reduced at follow-up, but labial numbness persisted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The navigation tools described herein were successfully employed to aid foreign body removal from the skull base.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, 58 Zhong Shan Road II, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, PR China. ranweigd@gmail.com
authors.forename: Ran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Liu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xiang-Zhen
authors.forename: Guo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bing
authors.forename: Shu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Da-Long
authors.forename: Tan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ze-Ming
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004867:Equipment Design; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D038361:Neuronavigation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D011859:Radiography; D019291:Skull Base / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000601:surgery*