The Endoscopic Transnasal Approach to Orbital Tumors: A Review

Historically, surgical access to orbital tumors has required a transcutaneous, transconjunctival or transcranial approach. Resection of orbital tumors is notoriously challenging due to the surrounding dense network of critical structures in a confined bony cavity. Advances in endoscopic endonasal surgery, initially used for sinonasal and skull base conditions, have allowed for expansion of its applications beyond the sinorbital interface. In the past decade, the evolution of techniques has enabled a purely endoscopic, minimally invasive approach to medially located orbital pathology with good outcomes. With experience and multidisciplinary collaboration between orbit and rhinologic surgeons, this has expanded to allow for a safe and effective transnasal approach to nearly all regions of the orbit with or without assistance from the orbital side. This review summarizes the relevant anatomy, variations of surgical approaches, and literature regarding outcomes of the endoscopic endonasal approach to orbital tumors.