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Background: Postoperative management strategies for endoscopic skull base surgery (ESBS) vary widely because of limited evidence-based guidance., Methods: The PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were systematically reviewed from January 1990 through February 2022 to examine 18 postoperative considerations for ESBS. Nonhuman studies, articles written in a language other than English, and case reports were excluded. Studies were assessed for levels of evidence, and each topic's aggregate grade of evidence was evaluated., Results: A total of 74 studies reporting on 18 postoperative practices were reviewed. Postoperative pain management, prophylactic antibiotics, and lumbar drain use had the highest grades of evidence (B). The literature currently lacks high quality evidence for a majority of the reviewed ESBS precautions. There were no relevant studies to address postoperative urinary catheter use and medical intracranial pressure reduction., Conclusion: The evidence for postoperative ESBS precautions is heterogeneous, scarce, and generally of low quality. Although this review identified the best evidence available in the literature, it suggests the urgent need for more robust evidence. Therefore, additional high-quality studies are needed in order to devise optimal postoperative ESBS protocols., (© 2022 ARS-AAOA, LLC.)

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of evidence of rhinology and rhinologic skull base surgery (RSBS) research and its evolution over the past decade., Study Design: Review article., Setting: We reviewed articles from 2007 to 2019 in 4 leading peer-reviewed otolaryngology journals and 3 rhinology-specific journals., Methods: The articles were reviewed and levels of evidence were assigned using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine 2011 guidelines. High quality was defined as level of evidence 1 or 2., Results: In total, 1835 articles were reviewed in this study spanning a 13-year period. Overall, the absolute number of RSBS publications increased significantly 22.6% per year, from 108 articles in 2007 to 481 in 2019 ( P < .001; 95% CI, 7.9-37.2). In 2007, only 13 articles, or 15%, were high quality, and this grew to 146 articles, or 39%, in 2019. A 14.0% per year exponential increase in the number of high-quality publications was found to be statistically significant ( P < .001; 95% CI, 7.2, 20.7). Overall, high-quality publications represented just 25.8% of RSBS articles overall. There was no significant difference in quality between rhinology-specific journals and general otolaryngology journals (χ 2 = 3.1, P = .077)., Conclusion: The number of overall publications and of high-quality RSBS publications has significantly increased over the past decade. However, the proportion of high-quality studies continues to represent a minority of total RSBS research.

Objectives/hypothesis: Currently, due to the rarity of pathology, there are limited data surrounding outcomes of pediatric skull base surgery. Traditionally, surgeons have proceeded with caution when electing endonasal endoscopic transsellar/transplanum approaches to the skull base in pediatric patients due to poor sphenoid pneumatization. In this study, we review outcomes of endoscopic pediatric skull base surgery based on sphenoid pneumatization patterns., Study Design: Retrospective chart review., Methods: A review of all cases of pediatric (age < 18 years) craniopharyngioma managed via an endoscopic endonasal approach at a tertiary academic medical center., Results: A total of 27 patients were included in the analysis. The median age was 8 years. Nineteen (70%) patients were male. Presellar, sellar/postsellar, and conchal sphenoid pneumatizations were found in 6, 11, and 10 patients, respectively. There was no significant association between sphenoid pneumatization pattern and extent of resection (gross vs. subtotal, P = .414), postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak (P = .450), intraoperative estimated blood loss (P = .098), total operative time (P = .540), and length of stay (P = .336). On multivariate analysis, after accounting for age, sex, preoperative cranial nerve involvement, and cavernous sinus invasion, there remained no significant association between sphenoid pneumatization pattern and extent of resection (P = .999) and postoperative CSF leak (P = .959)., Conclusions: Sphenoid pneumatization pattern does not appear to affect outcomes in endoscopic skull base surgery in the pediatric population. Importantly, lack of sphenoid pneumatization does not impede gross total resection or increase complications. Thorough knowledge of the anatomy during the endoscopic approach is critical to optimize outcomes., Level of Evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 129:832-836, 2019., (© 2018 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

Objective: To analyze clinical and radiographic features that may impact the rate of focal hyperostosis (FH) on computed tomography (CT) for primary and recurrent sinonasal inverted papillomas (IPs) as well as highlight factors that may affect concordance between FH and IP true attachment point (TAP). Methods: All IPs resected between 2006 and 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. CTs were read by a neuroradiologist blinded to operative details. IP with malignancy was excluded. Operative reports and long‐term follow‐up data were evaluated. Results: Of 92 IPs, 60.1% had FH, 25% had no CT bony changes, and 20.7% were revision cases. The recurrence rate for rhinologists was 10.5% overall and 7.3% for primary IPs. Primary and revision IPs had a similar rate of FH (63% vs. 52.6%; p = 0.646) and FH–TAP agreement (71.7% vs. 90%; p = 0.664). Nasal cavity IPs, especially with septal attachment, were more likely to lack bony changes on CT (57.1%) compared to other subsites (p = 0.018). Recurrent tumors were 16 mm larger on average (55 mm vs. 39 mm; p = 0.008). FH (75.0% vs. 60.9%; p = 0.295), FH–TAP concordance (91.7% vs. 74.4%; p = 0.094), and secondary IP (18.8% vs. 20.3%; p = 0.889) rates were similar between recurrent and nonrecurrent tumors. Conclusion: Primary and revision IPs have a similar rate of FH and FH–TAP agreement. Nasal cavity IPs are less likely to exhibit bony CT changes. Lower recurrence was associated with smaller size and fellowship training but not multiple TAPs, revision, FH absence, or FH–TAP discordance. Level of Evidence: 3 Laryngoscope, 134:1591–1596, 2024 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a case series involving the treatment of complex skull base lesions using a combined endoscopic and open cranial approach. The study included 9 patients with various pathologies, such as sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma, esthesioneuroblastoma, meningioma, mucormycosis, and skull base defect/encephalocele. The surgical goal of achieving gross total tumor resection, resolution of infection, and skull base resection/repair was achieved in 8 out of 9 cases. The study concludes that concurrent combined approaches can effectively treat complex and recurrent skull base pathologies in select patients. [Extracted from the article]

Objectives Skull base chordomas are locally aggressive malignant tumors derived from the notochord remnant. There are limited large-scale studies examining the role and extent of surgery and radiation therapy. Design Analysis of the National Cancer Database (NCDB) was performed to evaluate the survival outcomes of various treatments, and to assess for predictors of overall survival (OS). Participants This is a retrospective, population-based cohort study of patients diagnosed with a clival/skull base chordoma between 2004 and 2015 in the NCDB. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Results In all, 468 cases were identified. Forty-nine percent of patients received surgery and 20.7% had positive margins. Mean age at diagnosis was 48.4 years in the surgical cohort, and 55% were males. Of the surgical cohort, 33.8% had negative margins, 20.7% had positive margins, and 45.5% had unknown margin status. Age ≥ 65 (hazard ratio [HR]: 3.07; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.63–5.76; p < 0.001), diagnosis between 2010 and 2015 (HR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.26–0.90; p = 0.022), tumor size >5 cm (HR: 2.29; 95% CI: 1.26–4.15; p = 0.007), and government insurance (HR: 2.28; 95% CI: 1.24–4.2; p = 0.008) were independent predictors of OS. When comparing surgery with or without adjuvant radiation, no survival differences were found, regardless of margin status (p = 0.66). Conclusion Surgery remains the mainstay of therapy. Advanced age (>65 years), large tumor size, and government insurance were predictors of worse OS. Whereas negative margins and the use of adjuvant radiation did not appear to impact OS, these may very well reduce local recurrences. A multidisciplinary approach is critical in achieving optimal outcomes in this challenging disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives  The objective of this study is to compare the visibility and size of Dorello's canal (DC) on magnetic resonance imaging between patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) and control patients, for its evaluation as a potential novel marker for chronic increased intracranial pressure (ICP). Design  Retrospective blinded case–control study. Setting  Tertiary care academic center. Participants  Fourteen patients with spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea and diagnosed IIH, as well as an equal number of age and gender-matched controls. Main Outcome Measures  Radiographic presence or absence of visible CSF sleeve within DC as well as CSF sleeve width when present. Results  Following review of 28 IIH canals and 28 control canals, IIH patients were significantly more likely to have a visible CSF sleeve within DC and to have a wider measured medial entrance to DC (p  < 0.001). Conclusion  Identification of CSF evagination into DC may serve as a reliable marker for increased ICP in the IIH population. This finding should be considered in the future as paradigms for diagnosis of IIH continue to evolve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The gold standard of treatment for esthesioneuroblastoma consists of en bloc craniofacial resection with postoperative therapy dictated by histology and tumor extent. Numerous studies have shown fully endoscopic approaches to provide comparable survival and recurrence rates with decreased patient morbidity. Here we report the first multi-institutional series assessing smell outcomes of patients who underwent unilateral endoscopic resection of esthesioneuroblastoma with preservation of the contralateral olfactory bulb. Methods A multi-institutional retrospective review was performed identifying patients who underwent endoscopic unilateral resection of esthesioneuroblastoma with preservation of 1 olfactory bulb between 2003 and 2015. After completion of postoperative radiation, patients were administered the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) to assess olfactory function. Results Fourteen patients (7 males, 7 females) were identified and tested for posttreatment olfactory function. All 14 patients received postoperative radiotherapy and 4 patients received additional chemotherapy. Mean follow-up time was 51.7 months. There was no disease recurrence. Six patients (43%) were found to have residual smell function with 2 patients (14%) having normal or mildly reduced smell function. Conclusion Here we report the first multi-institutional series demonstrating smell preservation after unilateral endoscopic resection of esthesioneuroblastoma. In carefully selected patients, this approach can yield comparable survival with decreased patient morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea; natural orifice endoscopic surgery; skull base; therapeutics EN cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea natural orifice endoscopic surgery skull base therapeutics 321 323 3 02/22/22 20220301 NES 220301 INTRODUCTION The last decade has seen the utilization of endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) in resection of tumors with intradural components.1 EEA for intracranial masses is both possible and effective.2-4 When compared to transcranial approach, EEA has demonstrated superior vision outcomes, equivalent rates of total resection and complication, and stable quality of life outcomes.5,6 Successful EEA requires adequate skull base closure to prevent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks. There was no significant difference in postoperative CSF leak rates between pediatric and adult groups, underscoring EEA with NSF repair as a successful and safe technique in the surgical resection of pediatric anterior skull base tumors. One recent study examined NSF skull base reconstruction in a cohort of 12 post-EEA pediatric patients.9 Complications included one CSF leak, with a leak rate of 8.33%. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB) is a rare skull‐base malignancy associated with delayed local recurrence. Treatment options in recurrent disease are few and unreliable. We undertook analysis of the ONB exome and immune environment in order to identify potential future immunotherapy treatment options. Methods: Retrospective chart review and next‐generation targeted 595‐gene genomic profiling was performed on a cohort of 14 ONB cases utilizing Tempus proprietary DNA and RNA sequencing technology. Tempus analysis provided a measurement of tumor mutational burden (TMB) and composition of the immune cell infiltrate present in tumor samples. Clinically relevant genomic alterations and associated targeted therapies were identified using cancer.gov and clinicaltrials.gov. TMB was tested by univariate analysis against clinical stage, pathologic grade, recurrence risk, and immune cell infiltration. Results: The mean age for the subjects was 50 years (range, 13 to 76 years) with a male:female ratio of 1:1. TMB for ONB samples ranged from 1.3 to 9.6 mutations/megabase (Mb) with mean of 3.8 mutations/Mb. Univariate analysis showed no association between TMB and tumor stage, pathologic grade, risk of recurrence, or immune cell infiltration. Genomic profile revealed that 6 of 13 tumors had genetic alterations with targeted therapies in clinical trials, whereas 1 tumor demonstrated KRAS Q61R mutation with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)‐approved targeted therapies. Conclusion: TMB is a novel biomarker guiding the classification of neoplasms in the emerging era of immunotherapy. The characterization of ONB as a low‐TMB pathology contributes to the overall taxonomy of all cancers and suggests limited utility of immunotherapy treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The pathogenesis of inverted papilloma (IP) has not been fully elucidated. However, chronic paranasal sinus inflammation has been anecdotally observed in sites distant from tumor obstruction in IP patients, suggesting an association between inflammation and IP tumorigenesis. This study assesses the association between sinonasal inflammation found in IP and compares this to the level of inflammation observed in other sinonasal tumors. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed identifying patients with unilateral IP. Pertinent clinical data was obtained and comparative analysis of preoperative computed tomography (CT) imaging and histopathology was performed. A sample of unilateral, sinonasal, non‐IP and non–squamous cell tumors was used as the control. The Lund‐Mackay scoring system was used to assess radiologic sinonasal inflammation both ipsilateral and contralateral to the tumor. Results: Seventy‐one patients were included; 58.9% of patients with IP had evidence of contralateral sinusitis at the time of presentation. In the control group, 26.7% had evidence of contralateral inflammation. When comparing contralateral sinus inflammation between the 2 study groups, the IP patients had significantly higher Lund‐Mackay scores than the control group (1.9 vs 0.26, p < 0.001). When comparing ipsilateral sinus inflammation, no significant difference was found in Lund‐Mackay scores (5.44 vs 4.00, p < 0.184). Conclusion: In this study, unilateral IPs were associated with a higher level of contralateral sinonasal inflammation when compared to control. This suggests that IP may be associated with inflammation that is independent of obstruction by the tumor. Further studies are needed to better understand the temporal relationship between chronic inflammation and tumorigenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]