Combined frontal-preauricular-cervical approach for resection of huge transcranial lateral skull base tumors

Objective: To search into the appropriate approach for surgical treatment of the huge lateral skull base tumors.

Methods: The combined frontal-preauricular-cervical approach was used in two cases with huge transcranial lateral skull base tumors occupying the parapharngeal space, infratemporal fossa and middle cranial fossa. To acquire a wide surgical exposure, the flaps of orbital-zygomatic bone and the skull bone were removed, and then the mandibula was dislocated inferiorly.

Results: The tumors in the two cases were resected completely. The postoperative conditions of the patients were good. No cerebral spinal fluid leakage and other intracranial complications or facial morbidity were found. The occlusion was not interfered.

Conclusions: The combined frontal-preauricular-cervical approach may provide a potential way for the surgical treatment of the large transcranial neoplasms occupying the parapharngeal space and infratemporal fossa and the middle cranial base.