Microsurgical Anatomy of Access to the Peritrigeminal Zone: An Anatomic and Radiologic Comparison Between Transcranial Skull Base Approaches.

This article, published in the Journal of Neurological Surgery, explores the microsurgical anatomy of the peritrigeminal zone (PTZ) and compares different transcranial skull base approaches for accessing this area. The study used cadaveric head specimens and MRIs to examine the surgical exposure and intrinsic architecture of the PTZ. The results showed that the retrosigmoid (RS), retrolabyrinthine (RL), and anterior petrosectomy (AP) approaches all provided access to the PTZ, but each approach had different trajectories and depths of access. The choice of approach depends on the location and axis of development of the pontine lesion being treated. [Extracted from the article]