Overview of endonasal corridors to intracranial targets

Abstract

Intracranial targets for lesions or disease processes of the skull base are increasingly approached through endoscopic endonasal surgical approaches. The endonasal approach to the skull base can be divided into the nasal or sinus corridor traversed to reach an intracranial target. The transnasal, transethmoid, transphenoid, and transpterygoid approaches are discussed to provide a framework on how to approach various intracranial targets and diseases of the skull base. While endoscopic skull base surgery is minimal access surgery it is maximally invasive. The most common complication is a cerebrospinal fluid leak.