Endoscopic Anatomy and a Safe Surgical Corridor to the Anterior Skull Base

We describe the possibility to create precise preoperative planning for endonasal endoscopic approaches to the anterior skull base by overlapping endoscopic and radiologic anatomy. The important anatomic structures were marked. Morphometric measurements between these anatomic landmarks were performed endoscopically and compared with radiologic measurements of the same areas to ensure result compatibility.

Seven cadaver heads injected intravascularly with colored silicone were used for this study. Thin-section brain and paranasal sinus computed tomography scans were obtained on all cadavers. Using 0-degree rigid endoscopes and endonasal endoscopic surgical instruments, the anterior skull base was examined binostrally in all cadavers. Bilateral middle turbinates were identified and preserved. Next, an inferior uncinectomy and middle meatal antrostomy were performed. After performing a frontal antrostomy, bilateral anterior and posterior ethmoidal cells were opened and the skull base was identified and followed to the posterior wall of the frontal sinus. A transnasal transethmoidal sphenoidotomy was done with full exposure to the entire anterior skull base.

The anatomic landmarks for endonasal endoscopic skull base approaches were distinguished and measurements were made. The anterior skull base was divided into 3 compartments: anterior (area between the posterior inferior border of the frontal sinus and the course of anterior ethmoidal artery), middle (area between the course of the anterior ethmoidal artery and that of the posterior ethmoidal artery [PEA]), and posterior (area between the course of the PEA and the attachment point of the anterior border of the sphenoid sinus to the skull base) compartments. The distances between important anatomic markers and endoscopic depth measurements of this area were measured.

During endonasal endoscopic anterior skull base surgery, the area between the anterior border of the sphenoid sinus and PEA artery was safe as the first dissection zone. Preoperative radiologic width and depth measurements facilitate orientation to the endoscopic anatomy during surgery and help predict the endonasal surgical corridor anatomy preoperatively.