Molecular and genetic nature of skull base tumours drives management

This article reviews the molecular basis and paradigm shift in the diagnosis and management of skull base tumours. It is now known that the phenotype of meningiomas is influenced by their genotype. Endolymphatic sac tumours are observed in up to...

Olfactory protective effect of omega-3 supplements during healing after endoscopic sellar and parasellar resection

This multicentre study, led by researchers from Stanford, demonstrates another use for omega-3 supplements. The study analysed cohorts equally divided between control arm and omega-3 supplementation. Post endoscopic sellar and parasellar resection, better olfactory function was observed at three and...

Hearing outcomes after retrosigmoid resection of smaller vestibular schwannomas are better

The authors reviewed published literature reporting hearing outcomes in patients after retrosigmoid (RS) resection of vestibular schwannoma (VS). Aggregate hearing preservation of 31% and 35% under fixed and random models respectively was observed in the 2034 patients meeting eligibility criteria...

Skull base imaging: a review

This excellent review paper describes the anatomy, imaging protocols and differentiating imaging findings on CT and MRI in myriad skull base lesions. Skull base protocol MRI and thin section CT are required to evaluate all skull base lesions. According to...

Robotic surgery for ventral skull base malignancy

The use of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) in the head and neck area has been shown to be a safe and effective technique, achieving good oncological clearance of the oropharynx, hypopharynx, supraglottis and glottic area. However, robotic surgery for the...

Do endonasal approaches for meningiomas have more CSF leaks?

Rarely, patients presenting to the ENT surgeon with anosmia may have an anterior skull base neoplasm such as a meningioma. Historically, the traditional approaches have focused on several transcranial, external routes, including the pterional craniotomy, and the subfrontal craniotomy. The...