Transpalpebral orbitofrontal craniotomy: a minimally invasive approach to anterior cranial vault lesions

To describe a minimally invasive approach to anterior cranial vault pathology using a transpalpebral exposure with a miniorbitofrontal craniotomy.

Design: Case series.

Setting: Tertiary referral hospital with multidisciplinary skull base program. Participants include patients with intra-axial and extra-axial anterior skull base lesions who underwent the transpalpebral minicraniotomy approach.

Main outcome measures: Feasibility of the approach to permit adequate exposure of targeted lesion. We applied this approach in seven patients for the repair of persistent cerebrospinal fluid leaks, pneumocephalus, and the biopsy or resection of midline brain tumors along the anterior cranial base. The approach allowed bimanual instrumentation working with either endoscopic or microscopic visualization for tumor resection and repair of dural and cranial base defects. We measured an average working distance of 4 cm to the sella. The transpalpebral miniorbitofrontal craniotomy approach to the anterior cranial base is quick, adequate, and safe and should be considered as an alternative to extended bifrontal approaches and/or pterional craniotomies for select anterior cranial vault pathology.