Supraorbital Approach to Anterior Skull Base and Intraorbital Lesions

Moon, Seong Keun; Huh, Seung Kon; Shin, Moon Soo; Lee, Kwang Soo; Jung, Nam

Abstract

To get effective access to the floor of the frontal fossa and the superior orbit, the resection of supraorbital rim has been done. We performed the supraorbital approach as combined technique with uni- or bifrontal craniotomy in order to minimize frontal lobe retraction and achieve excellent exposure for safe manipulation in seven patients of anterior skull base and intraorbital lesions. Of seven patients, two patients of olfactory groove meningioma underwent the operation with supraorbital bifrontal craniotomy;one patient of tuberculum sellar meningioma, bifrontal supraorbital-pterional approach;four patients of intraorbital benign lesions(one patient of meningioma, one patient of neurilemmoma, two patients of benign lesions in lacrimal gland), supraorbital unifrontal craniotomy. There was little or no functional, anatomical, or cosmetic deficit associated with this approach technique. We believe the supraorbital approach to be a helpful technique as combined procedure of the uni- or bifrontal approach and the approach of choice for the intraorbital tumors except those in the inferior portion.