Objective: To explore the feasibility of transnasal endoscopic surgery to treat some kinds of diseases within orbit by ethmoidal-lamina papyracea approach, and put forward the basic principle of surgical management.
Methods: A total of 10 cases undergone the endoorbital operation by transnasal endoscopic ethmoidal-lamina papyracea approach, including foreign body 4 cases, sponge haemangioma 1 case, invaded and metastatic carcinoma 5 cases.
Results: Successful removing of foreign body from endoorbital for 3 cases, and 1 failure. One case of sponge haemangioma was removed completely. One case of metastatic tumour from nasopharyngeal carcinoma was resected, with no relapse and vision recovered to 0.6 during follow-up period of 4 years. Four cases of invaded carcinoma from ethmosphenoidal sinus were resected completely. Follow-up for 1-4 years showed no relapse.
Conclusion: The endoorbital region inside the optic nerve can be controlled by transnasal endoscopic ethmoidal-lamina papyracea approach. The advanced radiotherapy provides favourable conditions for conservative surgery of endoorbital carcinoma.