Introduction Gaining access to the cerebellopontine angle (CPA) and prepontine cistern presents a formidable challenge. Approaches designed to expose infraclinoid basilar tip aneurysms, petroclival meningiomas, chondromas, chondrosarcomas, and chordomas involving the petrous apex and clivus must preserve vital neighboring neurovascular…
Introduction and Background Approaches to the internal auditory canal (IAC) and cerebellopontine angle (CPA) require an intimate knowledge of the anatomy and its potential variations to obtain the best outcomes and to minimize complications. The operating microscope has long been…
Please access Videos to view the corresponding videos for this chapter. The transcochlear (TC) approach was first described by William House and William Hitselberger in 1976 to treat midline clival lesions and cerebellopontine angle (CPA) masses arising anterior to the…
Please access Videos to view the corresponding videos for this chapter. The retrosigmoid approach is a versatile type of craniotomy that creates a panoramic view of the posterior fossa from the tentorium cerebelli to the foramen magnum. The indications for…
Please access Videos to view the corresponding videos for this chapter. The translabyrinthine approach for vestibular schwannoma resection was pioneered by Drs. William House and William Hitselberger in the 1960s. , Thousands of tumors have been removed at the House…
Please access Videos to view the corresponding videos for this chapter. Bullet-Point Summary The middle fossa approach, while technically challenging, is an ideal way to manage patients with small vestibular schwannomas and serviceable preoperative hearing surgically. Some of the principles…
Before the advent of modern skull base surgery, the treatment of cranial base lesions was associated with significant perioperative complications and long-term morbidity. Rapid advances in medical imaging have enabled the early detection of lesions and preservation of vital structures…
Please access Videos to view the corresponding videos for this chapter. The therapy for glomus tumors of the temporal bone is controversial. Because the clinical characteristics and growth rates of these tumors vary, the full gamut of management has been…
Acknowledgments We wish to thank the co-authors of the previous version of this chapter, Drs. Courtney C.J. Voelker and Gregory P. Lekovic. Please access Videos to view the corresponding videos for this chapter. The petrous apex is one of the…
Please access Videos to view the corresponding videos for this chapter. Introduction Surgical decompression for arteriovenous compression of the neural elements at the skull base was first described in the early 1900s. After significant refinement of surgical technique over several…