Objective: In order to improve the safety of skull base surgery and to completely resect the skull base tumors, the anatomical landmarks of skull base were studied.
Methods: 29 cases of skull base surgery were performed between 1992 and 2002, and their clinical data were retrospectively analysed. The anatomical landmarks of cranial base, such as comb, pterygoid process, spine of temporal bone, styloid process, and internal caroid artery, were analysed in preoperative diagnosis and operative treatment of various kinds of skull base tumors.
Results: In the early stages, because of lacking the knowledge of anatomical landmarks of the skull base, the surgery lasted longer, part of skull base tumors remained and operative blood lose was much more than that in later stage. In the later stage, no operative death and severe complications were found in 26 cases which underwent various kinds of skull base surgery. The survival rates at 3 and 5 years were 72.2% and 35.7% respectively for malignant tumors.
Conclusions: Comb, pterygoid process, spine of temporal bone, styloid process, internal caroid artery and their adjacent structures were important anatomical landmarks for operative treatment of anterior, middle and lateral cranial base tumors. It was important to know the anatomical landmarks to ensure the safety of the skull base surgery.