title: Palliative endoscopic surgery in advanced sinonasal and anterior skull base neoplasms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the role of endoscopic surgery for palliative intent in patients with advanced sinonasal and anterior skull base neoplasms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, multi-institutional case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary academic center.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of six patients with advanced sinonasal and skull base neoplasms undergoing endoscopic surgery for palliative purposes were reviewed for patient demographics, treatment course, and postoperative outcome measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The histology in this series included metastatic sinonasal mucosal melanoma in three patients, and high-grade sarcoma, chordoma, and pituitary carcinoma each in one patient. The predominant symptoms in all patients related to sinonasal mass effect and local extension of disease. Symptomatic improvement was achieved in five of the six patients despite the poor overall outcome from the underlying lesion. There were no perioperative complications in this series.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endoscopic surgery may allow for palliation in advanced sinonasal and skull base neoplasms. The indications for this procedure are individualized on the basis of disease demographics and overall prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Beth Israel Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA. atabaee@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Abtin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tabaee
authors.forename: Gurston
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nyquist
authors.forename: Vijay K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Anand
authors.forename: Ameet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Ashutosh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kacker
authors.forename: Theodore H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Schwartz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018450:Disease Progression; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013517:Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D010166:Palliative Care; D010255:Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019292:Skull Base Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*