Endoscopic endonasal approach for the treatment of a large clival giant cell tumor complicated by an intraoperative internal carotid artery rupture

Maurizio Iacoangeli,1 Alessandro Di Rienzo,1 Massimo Re,2 Lorenzo Alvaro,1 Niccolò Nocchi,1 Maurizio Gladi,1 Maurizio De Nicola,3 Massimo Scerrati11Department of Neurosurgery, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Umberto I General Hospital, Ancona, Italy; 2Department of Ear, Nose, and Throat Surgery, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Umberto I General Hospital, Ancona, Italy; 3Department of Radiology, Interventional Radiology Section, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Umberto I General Hospital, Ancona, ItalyAbstract: Giant cell tumors (GCTs) are primary bone neoplasms that rarely involve the skull base. These lesions are usually locally aggressive and require complete removal, including the surrounding apparently healthy bone, to provide the best chance of cure. GCTs, as well as other lesions located in the clivus, can nowadays be treated by a minimally invasive fully endoscopic extended endonasal approach. This approach ensures a more direct route to the craniovertebral junction than other possible approaches (transfacial, extended lateral, and posterolateral approaches). The case reported is a clival GCT operated on by an extended endonasal approach that provides another contribution on how to address one of the most feared complications attributed to this approach: a massive bleed due to an internal carotid artery injury.Keywords: clival giant cell tumor, endoscopic endonasal approach, internal carotid artery injury, minimally invasive surgery