title: Endoscopic endonasal approach for the treatment of anterior skull base tumours.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The increasing expertise of transnasal endoscopic surgery has recently expanded its indications to include the management of tumours affecting the skull base. We report our experience with endoscopic management of these tumours, emphasising the indications and surgical technique used.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis was performed of patients treated by an endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) in our department from 2004 until 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-three patients were analysed. We performed an endoscopic craniofacial resection in 32 patients (51%), an expanded EEA in 22 (35%), a transclival approach in 6 (9%) and a transpterygoid approach in 3 (5%). The most frequent benign tumour was nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (24%), while adenocarcinoma (30%) was the most common among malignancies. Mean follow-up was 26 months (range: 6 to 84 months). The complication rate was 5% and resection was complete in 56 cases (89%). The 5-year overall-survival was 71% in patients with malignant tumours and the effectiveness was 100% in benign tumours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results support that endoscopic surgery, when properly planned, represents a valid alternative to standard surgical approaches for the management of skull base tumours.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Unidad de Base de Cráneo, Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Asturias, España.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Suárez
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Costales
authors.forename: Juan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Rodrigo
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Suárez
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Llorente
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000601:surgery*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018322:Angiofibroma / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009296:Nasal Cavity; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019292:Skull Base Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult