Purpose: Due to the destruction of osseous landmarks of the skull base or paranasal sinuses, the anatomical orientation during surgery of frontobasal or clival tumors with (para) nasal extension is often challenging. In this relation, Neuro-navigation guidance might be a useful tool. Here, we explored the use of Neuro-navigation in an interdisciplinary setting.
Methods and materials: The surgical series consists of 3 patients who underwent Lefort-I access osteotomy and surgical decompression of the tumor. The procedures were planned and assisted by neuro-navigation techniques with image fusion of CT and MRI. Two of the patients were diagnosed to have clival chordoma and one had extensive JNA.
Results: The application of Neuro-navigation in the combined approaches was both safe and reliable for delineation of tumors and identification of vital structures hidden or encased by the tumors. There was no perioperative mortality. Tumors were either removed completely, or subtotal resection was achieved.
Conclusion: Craniofacial approaches with intra-operative neuro-navigational guidance in a multidisciplinary setting allow safe resection of large tumors of the upper clivus and the paranasal sinuses involving the anterior skull base. Complex skull base surgery with the involvement of bony structures appears to be an ideal field for advanced navigation techniques given the lack of intraoperative shift of relevant structures.
Keywords: Clival chordoma; Lefort I access osteotomies; Neuro-navigation; Neuro-navigator.