The supraorbital approach: an alternative to traditional exposure for the surgical management of anterior fossa and parasellar pathology.

Objective: The use of a supraorbital craniotomy as a minimally invasive neurosurgical technique to treat pathology located in the anterior cranial fossa and parasellar region is reported.

Methods: 25 patients were operated upon using the supraorbital keyhole technique to expose various lesions located in the anterior skull base. Included were benign and malignant tumors, AVM, tuberculoma and trauma.

Conclusions: Utilizing small eyebrow incisions, a small supraorbital ("keyhole") craniotomy, and microneurosurgical and/or endoscopically assisted access, allowed us to gain excellent optimal and safe exposure to a number of different pathologies of the anterior base and parasellar regions. The lesions were resected under complete control and with full preservation of surrounding neurovascular structures.