[Skin cancers infiltrating the skull base]

Rev Med Suisse. 2013 Oct 2;9(400):1758-62, 1764.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Squamous cell and basocellular carcinoma of the face have an excellent prognosis. Nevertherless, a small proportion therefore of these cancers differs by a much more aggressive behavior, caracterised by a tendency to infiltrate the deep facial soft tissues and facial bones. The invasion of the craniofacial skeleton and the intracranial structures follows the embryonic fusion lines or the facial sensitive or motor nerves, sometimes years after the initial treatment. The development of craniofacial surgery, reconstruction techniques and conformational radiotherapy allows us now to offer curative guided treatments, for these advanced staged tumors with a remaining limited prognosis. A therapeutic benefit implies a rigorous selection of these patients.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / diagnosis
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / diagnostic imaging
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / pathology*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / surgery
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Plastic Surgery Procedures / methods
  • Radiography
  • Skin Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Skin Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Skin Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Skin Neoplasms / surgery
  • Skull Base Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Skull Base Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Skull Base Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Skull Base Neoplasms / surgery
  • Surgical Procedures, Operative / methods