Objective: To study the clinical manifestations and diagnosis and treatment of cranial base myxoma.
Methods: The clinical data of 23 cases of myxoma of cranial base confirmed by pathology from Oct. 1983 to Nov. 2005, 14 males and 9 females, aged 32.7 (18 approximately 50), were analyzed retrospectively. Operation was performed on all 23 patients, 8 cases underwent radiotherapy postoperatively. 11 patients were followed up after operation for 64.5 month.
Results: Most of the tumors were located in the parasellar and middle fossa and jugular region. The clinical manifestations included headache and injury of multiple cranial nerves. Imaging examination showed calcification and osseous elements in the center of tumor. The approaches of operation were selected according to the tumor position. Subtotal resection was achieved in 16 cases, and gross resection in 7 cases. The condition was improved postoperatively in 2 cases, unchanged in 11 cases, and aggravated in 9 cases, of which one died. The follow up showed that recuperation was achieved in 6 cases, recurrence occurred in 4 cases, and 1 patient died.
Conclusion: It is hard to remove the total myxoma of cranial base. The curative efficacy of radiotherapy is not definite. The important substance of the myxoma is mucus. It is difficult to differentiate myxoma from chondrogenic tumor and chordoma in cranial base by the clinical and neuroradiological manifestations.