Applications and prospects of artificial intelligence and digital medicine in pediatric nasal skull base tumors

Pediatric nasal skull base tumors are rare and difficult to diagnose early due to their deep anatomical location and children's limited ability to describe symptoms. When the tumors progress to advanced stages, nonspecific symptoms such as nasal congestion, nosebleeds, and facial swelling are easily confused with sinusitis or trauma, complicating diagnosis and treatment. Moreover, the special tumor anatomical location and the narrow nasal cavity in children increase the risk of tumor involvement with the surrounding structures. Given children's longer life expectancy and higher postoperative quality of life demands, personalized treatment and comprehensive medical management are essential. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital medicine have played an important role in early diagnosis, multidisciplinary treatment, prognosis assessment, and follow-up. However, despite the widespread use of emerging AI-related technologies, their application in pediatric nasal skull base tumors remains limited. This review discusses the potential applications of AI and digital medicine in the whole-process medical management of these tumors, including diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and follow-up, along with current challenges.