Surgical treatment of lateral skull base lesions and reconstruction of the skull base: a report of 20 cases

Objective: To investigate the surgical treatment and related experience of lateral skull base lesions.

Methods: In a retrospective, clinical data analysis of 20 patients with lateral skull base diseases, 11 cases with temporal bone space-occupying lesions and intracranial invasion were treated by translabyrinthine surgery, mastoid cavity drainage, or transmastoid surgery to remove the lesion; two cases of cholesteatoma with destruction of tympanic cavity and tympanic sinus canopy with intracranial invasion were treated by extended radical mastoidectomy; seven cases with lateral skull base bone destruction with cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea caused by trauma and deformity were treated by translabyrinth and transmastoid repair.

Results: Eleven cases with temporal bone space occupying lesions were resected completely and were without recurrence after surgery. Two cases with intracranial infection secondary to cholesteatoma were rapidly relieved of symptoms without recurrence after radical mastoidectomy. The remaining seven cases of CSF otorrhea included two cases of Mondini malformation and five cases of temporal bone fracture. The leak was stemmed in all seven cases after surgery.

Conclusion: Surgery is the main therapeutic option for the treatment of lateral skull base diseases. The surgical approach and the type of skull base reconstruction should be selected on an individual case-by-case basis.