[Anterior craniofacial resection: oncologic outcome and complications in a series of 111 cases]

The Selective Role of Open and Endoscopic Approaches for Sinonasal Malignant Tumours

Endoscopic endonasal surgery has been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of selected cases of sinonasal cancers. However, in cases of locally advanced neoplasms, as well as recurrences, the most appropriate approach is still debated. The present review aims to summarize the current state of knowledge on the utility of open approaches to resect sinonasal malignant tumours. Published comparative studies and meta-analyses suggest comparable oncological results with lower morbidity for the endoscopic approaches, but selection biases cannot be excluded. After a critical analysis of the available literature, it can be concluded that endoscopic surgery for selected lesions allows for oncologically safe resections with decreased morbidity. However, when endoscopic endonasal surgery is contraindicated and definitive chemoradiotherapy is not appropriate, craniofacial and transfacial approaches remain the best therapeutic option.

Impact of Dural Resection on Sinonasal Malignancies with Skull Base Encroachment or Erosion

Objectives  (1) To determine the occult rate of dural invasion in patients with tumors extending to and/or eroding the bony anterior skull base but without evidence of dural invasion on preoperative imaging. (2) To determine the impact of dural resection and of skull base erosion on survival outcomes in this group of patients (without evidence of dural invasion upon preoperative imaging). Study Design  Retrospective study. Setting  Tertiary care academic center. Participants  Patients with sinonasal malignancies with anterior skull base encroachment/erosion without dural invasion on preoperative imaging treated surgically. Main Outcome Measures  (1) Histopathologic disease in the dura in patients who had dural resection and (2) Oncologic outcomes (5-year local recurrence, dural recurrence, disease-specific survival, and overall survival) in patients with and without dural resection, and patients with and without skull base erosion. Results  Thirty-seven patients were included. The occult rate of dural invasion was 54%. Patients with dural resection had improved margin control versus those without dural resection (90% vs 56%, p  = 0.02). Dural resection improved 5-year overall survival only in patients with esthesioneuroblastoma compared with bony skull base resection alone (100% vs 75%, p  = 0.03). Patients with skull base erosion had reduced local control versus those without erosion (63% vs 93%, p  = 0.047). Conclusion  This study suggests a substantial rate of occult dural invasion despite no overt imaging findings. Dural resection may be associated with improved margin control, but no oncologic benefit except for esthesioneuroblastomas, although treatment heterogeneity and small sample size may limit conclusions.

[The clinical evaluation of the effectiveness of anterior craniofacial resection for the treatmentof disseminated tumours and pseudotumour lesions in the nasal cavity, the paranasal sinuses, and the orbit]

The objective of the present work was to evaluate the outcomes of anterior craniofacial resection (ACFR) in the patients presenting with disseminated tumours and pseudotumour lesions in the nasal cavity, the paranasal sinuses, and the orbit based on the results of dynamic clinical observations. A total of 24 patients with tumours and tumour-like lesions of these anatomical structures were involved in the study including 14 ones having benign neoplasms, 2 patients with pseudotumour lesion, and 8 patients having malignant tumours. In all the cases, the pathological processes in the form of destruction and infiltration encompassed the anterior portion of the base of the skull (mostly lamina cribrosae) and spread directly into the anterior cranial fossa. It was shown that ACRF ensured the radical elimination of the pathological process and the enhancement of the five-year survival rate in all the patients with benign tumours and pseudotumour lesions and in half of the patients presenting with disseminated malignant neoplasms.

Endoscopic craniofacial resection. Indications and technical aspects

INTRODUCTION

Anterior craniofacial resection (CFR) is a standardised procedure for the treatment of tumours involving the anterior skull base. We present our experience in the endoscopic treatment of these tumours.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

A retrospective analysis was performed of patients treated by endoscopic anterior CFR in our Department from 2004 until 2011.

RESULTS

Thirty-two patients were analysed. Mean follow-up was 28 months (range: 6-84 months). The most frequent pathological entity was adenocarcinoma (60%), followed by undifferentiated carcinoma (13%). According to TNM classification, malignant epithelial tumour staging was T3 in 9%, T4a in 53% and T4b in 19% of the malignant epithelial tumours. The complication rate was 6% and the resection was complete in 91% of cases. During follow-up, 9% of patients developed recurrence. The 5-year overall survival rate was 70% and the 5-year disease-free survival rate was 85%

CONCLUSION

These results seem to indicate that properly planned endoscopic CFR may be a valid alternative to traditional open approaches for the management of malignancies of the anterior skull base.

Ethmoid adenocarcinoma--from craniofacial to endoscopic resections: a single-institution experience over 25 years

OBJECTIVES

To identify factors that influence hospitalization time, complications, and prognosis of patients with ethmoid adenocarcinoma treated with different surgical techniques.

DESIGN

Single-institution retrospective review.

SETTING

Academic tertiary care center.

PATIENTS

Sixty-seven patients with ethmoid adenocarcinoma treated from January 1985 to August 2009 were retrospectively evaluated. Surgical treatment included endoscopic resection (n = 12), endoscopic resection with transnasal craniectomy (n = 17), cranioendoscopic resection (n = 9), external approaches limited to the ethmoid (n = 11), and craniofacial resection (n = 18).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

A Cox model was adopted to relate time to death to previous treatment, pT category, grade, and surgical technique. The impact of the same variables on hospitalization time and risk of complications was assessed by linear regression and logistic regression, respectively.

RESULTS

The risk of complications increased for pT4a-b lesions (P = .02) and craniofacial resection (P = .01). Hospitalization time increased by 6.3 days for cranioendoscopic resection (P = .03) and by 11.7 days for craniofacial resection (P < .001). Three- and 5-year overall survivals were 68.0% (standard error = 5.8%) and 48.4% (standard error = 6.9%). Three-year survival was 76.62% and 51.81% for previously untreated and treated patients, respectively, and it was 92.98% and 33.33% in patients treated with endoscopic techniques and craniofacial resection, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that previous treatment (hazard ratio of death = 3.9, P = .01) and craniofacial resection (HR = 5.16, P = .05) were mainly associated with survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopic techniques, in properly selected patients, were associated with a favorable oncologic outcome and a statistically significant reduction in both complication rate and hospitalization time. This study supports the role of endoscopic techniques in surgical treatment of ethmoid adenocarcinoma.

Anterior craniofacial resection - for paranasal sinus tumors involving anterior skull base

Management of anterior skull base tumors is complex due to the anatomic detail of the region and the variety of tumors that occur in this area. Currently, the "gold standard" for surgery is the anterior craniofacial approach. Craniofacial resection represents a major advance in the surgical treatment of tumors of the paranasal sinuses involving anterior skull base. It allows wide exposure of the complex anatomical structures at the base of skull permitting monobloc tumor resection. This study presents a series of 18 patients with anterior skull base tumors, treated by a team of head-neck surgeons and neurosurgeons. The series included 15 malignant tumors of the nose and paranasal sinuses and 3 extensive benign lesions. All tumors were resected by a combined bi-frontal craniotomy and rhinotomy. The skull base was closed with a pediculated pericranial flap and a split-thickness free skin graft underneath. There were no postoperative problems of wound infection, cerebrospinal fluid-leakage or meningitis. Recurrent tumor growth or systemic metastasis occurred in 3 out of 15 patients with malignant tumors, 6 months to 2 years postoperatively. Craniofacial resection was thus found to give excellent results with low morbidity in malignant lesions and can also be adapted for benign tumors of anterior skull base.

Contemporary management of sinonasal cancer

BACKGROUND

Sinonasal cancer is a relatively uncommon entity encountered by head and neck oncologists, rhinologists, and skull base surgeons. Recent innovations in surgical and nonsurgical therapeutic modalities raise the question of whether there has been any measurable improvement for treatment outcomes.

METHODS

A retrospective review of data from recent studies that focus on surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, or combinations thereof, was conducted.

RESULTS

Surgery continues to be the preferred treatment and provides the best results, albeit with an inherent bias based on patient selection. For advanced disease (T4 lesions), the survival rate remains only modest. Complications of treatment, including both surgical and radiation therapy, have been reduced.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a need to improve the efficacy of treatment for this disease. Recommendations for the future direction of therapeutic investigations are outlined.

Anterior skull base surgery

The basic principle of anterior skull base surgery is to provide adequate exposure to enable three dimensional resection of skull base tumors. Negative surgical margins, which is within the control of surgeon, is the principle prognostic factor in anterior skull base tumors. Open skull base approaches is the standard of care for malignant anterior skull base tumors. Benign lesions may be resected by alternate minimally invasive approaches. Advances in anterior skull base surgery, in particular the facial translocation approaches allows wide exposure of the tumors with minimal retraction of the brain. The outcome of anterior skull base tumors have steadily increased over the years with disease free survival comparable to other malignant neoplasm of the head and neck region. This review described various surgical approaches and pertaining anatomy and pathology of anterior skull base tumors.

Genetic and clinical aspects of wood dust related intestinal-type sinonasal adenocarcinoma: a review

Intestinal-type sinonasal adenocarcinoma (ITAC) is a rare epithelial cancer of the nasal cavities and paranasal sinuses. Exposure to wood dust particles is a strong etiological factor making it a professional disease. These tumors are locally aggressive with frequent local recurrences in up to 50% of cases. Metastasis to regional lymph nodes and distant metastasis are less frequent (10%). Invasion of the duramater and local recurrence are frequent and the major cause of death. Standard therapeutic modalities include surgery followed by radiotherapy in advanced stages, sometimes with chemotherapy treatment. The molecular genetic mechanisms underlying the development and progression of this tumor is not understood. Histopathologically, ITAC resembles colorectal adenocarcinoma and have directed early genetic studies to search for similar genetic alterations. Recently, genome-wide studies have identified a recurrent pattern of chromosomal aberrations. This review aims to describe the clinico-pathological characteristics of this relatively unknown tumor and to summarize the knowledge on genetic and chromosomal analyses up to the present time.

[Own experience in treatment of patients with advanced tumours of the paranasal sinuses and the orbit, penetrating to the anterior and medial cranial fossa--preliminary report]

AIM

Craniofacial resection provides multidirectional approaches to remove nasal and paranasal tumours that involve the skull base. Vital structures, such as the dura, brain, and blood vessels, can be protected or resected and reconstructed safely. An en bloc excision of the tumour can be accomplished. The purpose of this study was to analyse oncological and functional results of craniofacial resection in our series of patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The medical records of 40 consecutive patients who had undergone craniofacial resection for tumours of the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, and adjacent areas were reviewed. The extent of disease, treatment results (the length of disease-free survival), complications, and prognoses were analysed.

RESULTS

Lesions were malignant in 7 patients and benign in the remaining 33. All the patients had dural or intradural involvement. There was no operative death, and the rate of surgical morbidity was 20%. Craniofacial resection is the only surgical approach with acceptable rate of complications in selected patients with tumour comprising the anterior and medial cranial base, nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, nasopharynx and orbits. Heroic resections are modern surgical procedures challenging both for ENT surgeons and neurosurgeons. The result is satisfactory when they are performed by a multi-specialist team.