Microsurgery for sellar region lesions via frontolateral approach

Abstract

Objective To investigate the feasibility and effect of frontolateral approach in microsurgical treatment of sellar region lesions. Methods Twenty-eighty patients with sellar region lesions,admitted to our hospital from January 2009 to December 2011,were treated with microsurgery via frontolateral approach; a retrospective analysis of their clinical data was conducted. In these 28 patients,8 had meningiomas ofsellar tuberculum and anterior clinoidal process,5 pituitary tumors,3 craniopharyngiomas, 1 cholesteatoma, 6 anterior communicafing artery aneurysms and 5 posterior communicating artery aneurysms. Results The total removal was achieved in 12 of the 17 patients with sellar region tumors,and subtotal removal in 5.Six patients with anterior communicating artery aneurysm and 5 with posterior communicating artery aneurysm were successfully clipped.No death or severely disabled case were noted. Conclusion The microsurgery via frontolateral approach can fully expose the sellar region lesions and proper treatment can be given, which is minimally invasive and enjoys satisfactory result. Key words: Frontolateral approach; Sellar region lesion; Microsurgery