Intracranial Anatomic Landmarks for Endoscopic Endonasal Transcribriform Approach to Anterior Skull Base.
OBJECTIVE
To help surgeons locating anatomic landmarks when performing endoscopic endonasal transcribriform approach to anterior skull base.


METHODS
High-resolution axial computed tomography (CT) images at thickness of 0.6 mm, and reconstructed 0.41-mm thick gapless sagittal and coronal CT images were taken from 123 subjects. Using mimics software, first located elementary points and line: nasal spine, midpoint of posterior hard palate and the line between them; then located measured points right/left posterior and anterior points; measured distances between measured points and from measured points to nasal spine and angles between lines connecting measured points to nasal spine and the basic line.


RESULTS
The distances from nasal spine to right/left posterior and anterior points of anterior skull base are 68.67 ± 6.04 and 61.71 ± 5.09 mm, corresponding angles are 45.89 ± 4.20° and 72.07 ± 4.06°, respectively. The width and length of defect of anterior skull base are 24.45 ± 2.62 and 31.03 ± 4.96 mm; its area ranges from 373.75 ± 94.08 to 800.91 ± 195.07 mm.


CONCLUSIONS
The study provides information about anterior skull base anatomic landmarks, which can help surgeons to locate them and avoid relative complications during endoscopic endonasal transcribriform approach to anterior skull base. The measurements can be used as surgical indicators to investigate the landmarks.
*Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Guangxi Medical University †Department of Otolaryngology, Affiliated Ruikang Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine ‡Department of Radiation Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Guangxi Medical University §Department of Radiology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
Pinghua
P
Wu
Huikun
H
Zeng
Ying
Y
Guan
Ligen
L
Mo
Danke
D
Su
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D059925:Anatomic Landmarks / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057605:Natural Orifice Endoscopic Surgery; D009666:Nose / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D021362:Palate, Hard / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D019291:Skull Base / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult