Chapter 49: Skull Base Surgery

Chapter 49. Skull Base Surgery

The following is a contraindication to an extended endoscopic approach to anterior skull base tumors:

A. Extension through lateral maxillary sinus wall

B. Involvement of the cavernous sinus

C. Orbital involvement

D. Tumor extension superolateral to orbital nerve

E. Dural involvement

F. A, B, C, and D are correct

This cerebellopontine angle lesion has the characteristic MRI finding of high signal intensity on both T1- and T2-weighted images:

A. Lipoma

B. Cholesterol granuloma

C. Arachnoid cyst

D. Cholesterol granuloma

E. Vestibular Schwannoma

F. Meningioma

Which one of the following is considered a “relative,” rather than “absolute” contraindication to surgery of the skull base?

A. Invasion of both cavernous sinuses

B. Invasion of the optic chiasm

C. Invasion of bilateral carotid arteries

D. Invasion of the spinal cord

E. Invasion of the brain stem

This approach is ideal for small intracanalicular tumors where hearing preservation is a priority:

A. Middle fossa approach

B. Retrosigmoid approach

C. Translabyrinthine approach

D. Retrolabyrinthine approach

The most important predictor of 5-year survival in the resection of skull base malignancies is:

A. A watertight dural seal

B. Tumor-free margins at the end of resection

C. The use of postoperative radiation therapy

D. The use of free-flap reconstruction

E. The use of laser for resection of the tumor