Full endoscopic endonasal transsellar-transclival approach: the modularity concept

• Published in: Acta neurochirurgica Vol. 158; no. 3; pp. 437 - 439
• Main Authors: Pérez-Borredá, Pedro, Simal-Julián, Juan Antonio, de San Román-Mena, Laila Pérez, Botella-Asunción, Carlos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Vienna Springer Vienna 01.03.2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Cranial Fossa, Posterior - surgery; Craniopharyngioma - surgery; Endoscopy - adverse effects; Endoscopy - methods; How I Do it - Neurosurgical Techniques; Humans; Interventional Radiology; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Minimally Invasive Surgery; Neurology; Neuroradiology; Neurosurgery; Neurosurgical Procedures - adverse effects; Neurosurgical Procedures - methods; Nose - surgery; Skull Base Neoplasms - surgery; Surgery, Computer-Assisted - adverse effects; Surgery, Computer-Assisted - methods; Surgical Orthopedics; Modularity; Endoscopic endonasal surgery; Transclival
• ISSN: 0001-6268; 0942-0940
• DOI: 10.1007/s00701-015-2698-8

Background Endoscopic endonasal approaches (EEAs) constitute a reasonable option for the treatment of lesions that involve the sellar and clival regions. Methods We describe, step by step, the full EEA expanded to the middle and lower clivus for the treatment of perisellar lesions. Delimiting different modules around the sellar region is useful in establishing the best endoscopic approach for each tumor. A craniopharyngioma (CP) with clival extension will be used as an illustrative example of the modularity concept of these approaches. Conclusions Transsellar-transclival EEA allows complete resection of lesions located in the sellar and infrasellar region with a low rate of complications.