Abstract
For certain tumors of the skull base and upper vertebral column, as well as a variety of congenital bony anomalies of the craniocervical region, an anterior surgical approach will be indicated. Developments in microsurgery, endoscopic surgery, image guidance, as well as intraoperative computerized tomography (CT) have meant that it is now possible to obtain accurate and reliable surgical access from the anterior cranial fossa floor to the cervicothoracic junction using the endoscopic endonasal, open transoral, and anterior transcervical approaches. Moreover, modern spinal instrumentation techniques ensure that effective spinal reconstruction and craniocervical fixation can be achieved after such approaches.
Although pioneered in adult patients, all these techniques are being increasingly used in pediatric neurosurgical practice. The evolution of these techniques, their advantages and limitations, and the principles of management that underpin the selection of surgical approach to the craniocervical region are addressed in this chapter.
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Thompson, D.N.P. (2017). Anterior Surgical Approaches to the Craniovertebral Junction and Upper Cervical Spine. In: Di Rocco, C., Pang, D., Rutka, J. (eds) Textbook of Pediatric Neurosurgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31512-6_126-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31512-6_126-1
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