Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 2, 2026
Role of Diffusion MRI Tractography in Endoscopic Endonasal Skull Base Surgery
Published on: July 5, 2021
Endoscopic sequestrectomy for skull base osteoradionecrosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients: a 10‑year
Juan Liu1, Xianhui Ning1, Xicai Sun1
1Department of Otolaryngology, Eye Ear Nose and Throat Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
Background:
Skull base osteoradionecrosis is a devastating post-irradiation complication in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. We conducted a retrospective analysis to assess the long-term survival and prognostic factors of patients with skull base osteoradionecrosis treated with endoscopic sequestrectomy.
Methods:
We enrolled 59 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with skull base osteoradionecrosis who underwent endoscopic nasopharyngectomy. The clinical characteristics and outcome at the last follow-up visit were collected. The survival curve and univariate and multivariate survival analysis were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards model to analyze the potential prognostic factors of overall survival, including age, gender, number of radiation, number of operations, extension of disease (local or extensive), whether the ICA is exposed to the procedure (yes or no) and the hypha status (yes or no) at postoperative pathological examination.
Results:
The predilection sites of skull base osteoradionecrosis in osteoradionecrosis patients are as follows: the base of the sphenoid bone and sphenoid sinus region, the clivus and petrous apex region including the internal carotid canal and the pterygoid process region (including its medial and lateral pterygoid plates). After surgery, clinical symptoms were alleviated in most patients to varying degrees. By the last follow-up visit, 26 patients had died. Most deaths (24) in the study occurred during the first 2 years. Most patients (24) died of sudden severe hemorrhage. The follow-up period ranged from 1 to 108 months, with a median of 27 months. The 2-year overall survival rate was 54.2%. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the number of radiation (P = 0.026) and age (P = 0.002) were independent risk factors for the overall survival.
Conclusions:
Endoscopic sequestrectomy with minimal complications and clear vision is a valuable option for the therapy of skull base osteoradionecrosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Suctioning the Nasopharyngeal Airway
Equipment Required
01:22Sutures of the Skull
Sutures are immobile joints between adjacent bones of the skull. The narrow gap between the bones is filled with dense, fibrous connective tissue that unites the bones. The long sutures located between the skull bones are not straight but instead follow irregular, tightly twisting paths. These twisting lines tightly...
01:08Overview of the Skull
The cranial vault surrounds and protects the brain and houses the middle and inner ear structures. This cavity is bounded superiorly by the rounded top of the skull, which...
01:12What is an Experiment?
01:19Thomson's e/m Experiment
A particle with charge q, speed v, and mass m enters an area from the top, where the magnetic and electric fields are perpendicular both to the particle's motion and to one another. The magnetic...
01:13Controls in Experiments