Objective: To inquire into the feasibility of transnasal endoscopic surgery for endonasal encephalomeningocele, and to put forward the basic management guidelines.
Method: Five cases of endonasal encephalomeningocele were managed by transnasal endoscopic surgery. Different surgical techniques were applied according to the size and shape of skull base defect. At the same time, one-stage repair of skull base defect was achieved by applying muscle, fascia, cartilage and bone.
Results: All 5 patients were successfully treated without complication and relapse during 1-5 year follow-up.
Conclusion: Endonasal type encephalomeningocele can be managed by transnasal endoscopic surgery. If the skull base defect is less than 0.5 cm, it can be repaired by packing muscle and fascia. If the defect is larger than 0.5 cm, the cartilage or bone should be used to repair the skull base.