Endoscopic Endonasal Transclival Resection of the Upper Clival Meningioma

In recent years, endoscope use for the excision of brain stem lesions or those localized to the anterior part of the brain stem has started. In this paper, a case of upper clival meningioma resected through the endoscopic endonasal transclival route has been presented with illustrations, and live surgery videos demonstrating the surgery step-by-step. A 35-year-old male patient presented with dysphagia and impaired consciousness. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a mass lesion with a wide base located at the clivus and anterior part of brain stem. Following surgical preparations, the mass was resected through the endoscopic endonasal transclival route. Presigmoid and lateral suboccipital approaches are the most popular methods for petroclival tumors. However, the disadvantages are restricted surgical corridor to reach the anterior lesions of the brain stem, and surgical manipulations that should be performed between the cranial nerves to gain access into the pathological structures. The alternative endoscopic endonasal transclival method, which is preferred to reach these lesions anteriorly, does not have these disadvantages. The endoscopic endonasal transclival route is suitable for meningiomas located in the retroclival area. With advances in endoscopic technology and surgical experience, full endoscopic endonasal transclival approach will be an alternative for the treatment of posterior circulation aneurysms, most of the extradural and intradural lesions of the ventral aspect of brain stem, and neuralgia secondary to vascular compression.