[Combined craniofacial surgery in malignant tumors of the ethmoid]

The Authors discuss the importance of surgical treatment in ethmoid cancer basing their discussion upon observation of three cases involving the anterior skull base which followed an overview of the epidemiology, histology and evaluation of this kind of pathology. After reviewing Literature they stress the validity of anterior craniofacial resection which allows a wide exposure of the complex anatomic structures at the base of the skull and a monoblock resection of malignant tumors as well as a satisfactory reconstruction of the resulting defect at the skull base. Furthermore, they emphasize the still existing differences among many Authors as far as surgical technique is concerned and the extreme variability of the survival rate. The Authors conclude that in order to make a comparison between the results of different Authors, data concerning the site of origin, the extension and the histology of the tumors and the length of the follow-up should be more homogeneous.