CRANIOFACIAL SURGERY

Skull base oncology

Skull base tumours can affect different parts of the cranium. For example, tumours of the anterior skull base include carcinomas of the paranasal sinuses, esthesioneuroblastomas, angiofibromas, and pituitary tumours.

Tumours in the middle part of the skull base include nasopharyngeal carcinomas, adenoid cystic carcinomas and cavernous sinus meningiomas. In the posterior skull base, one finds tumours such as acoustic neuromas (schwannomas), chordomas, chondrosarcomas and glomus tumours. Although certain tumours are treated occasionally by one specialist, the majority of cases require the skills of an interdisciplinary team.

Treatment for tumours of the skull base may involve surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or a combination of therapies.