Comparison of outcomes for open versus endoscopic approaches for olfactory neuroblastoma: A systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis

Background: Endoscopic approaches have been adopted as an alternative to craniofacial resection in the surgical management of olfactory neuroblastoma.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis using MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, and CINAHL (2000-2014) to compare outcomes for open versus endoscopic approaches.

Results: Thirty-six studies containing 609 patients were included. Meta-analysis of (a) all patients, (b) Kadish C/D only, and (c) Hyams III/IV only, failed to show a difference in locoregional control and metastasis-free survival between approaches. However, endoscopic approaches were associated with improved overall survival (OS) for all 3 groups (p = .001, .04, and .001, respectively), and higher disease-specific survival (DSS) for all patients (p = .004) and Hyams III/IV only (p = .002).

Conclusion: The current study suggests that endoscopic approaches have comparable control rates to open approaches for olfactory neuroblastoma. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E2306-E2316, 2016.