[Diagnosis and treatment of lateral skull base tumors in pediatric]

To explore the diagnosis and treatment of lateral skull base tumors in children.

The clinical data of 8 patients with lateral skull base tumors were reviewed in a retrospective study. One had schwannoma of the trigeminal nerve, one had malignant melanoma, one had fibroma in temporal bone, one had chordoma, two had rhabdomyosarcoma, two had esthesioneuroblastoma. Of 8 patients, one case was treated with chemotherapy. The other 7 cases of benign or malignant tumors underwent surgery in different approaches. Four patients had pre-and postoperative chemotherapy. Three patients received postoperative chemotherapy.

The group patients had been followed up for 1-1.5 years and it was shown that there was no recurrence in 4 cases, while there was recurrence in 4 cases. One patient of chordoma died 5 months after surgery, the other 7 patients were alive at the time of analysis. Cerebrospinal fluid leak occurred in two patients who healed with management. Hearing loss occurred in one patient in the operated ear. One patient developed hoarseness. Two patients developed swallowing obstruction and healed 3-4 months after surgery.

Tumors in lateral skull base in children were rare, of which malignant tumors were more common compared to benign lesions. CT and MRI are helpful in evaluating extent of disease and preoperative planning. Surgery is the first choice of the treatment for lateral skull base tumors. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy could be used for malignant tumors preoperatively and postoperatively. Combined approach of temporal and infratemporal fossa is suitable for the surgery of those tumors involved temporal bone and middle or posterior cranial fossa as well as infratemporal fossa.