Background: Primary watertight dural closure is the preferred method of postcraniotomy dural repair. However, even when ideal technique is implemented, postoperative infection, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks, pseudomeningoceles, and dural scarring are possible complications. For this reason, materials that augment the dura's ability to create a watertight seal, prevent disease transmission, and inhibit inflammatory response are sought. Dehydrated amniotic membrane (DAM) allograft appears to fulfil these requirements as it has several beneficial properties that aid wound healing, including promotion of epithelialization, scar tissue prevention, and inhibition of bacterial growth. We provide the literature's first description of the use of DAM allograft to supplement dural closures for craniotomies and transsphenoidal surgeries.
Methods: We conducted a pilot study, retrospectively reviewing our institution's database of craniotomies and transsphenoidal surgeries that utilized DAM to augment dural closure.
Results: One hundred fifty-five cases, including 102 new craniotomies for supratentorial lesions, one re-do craniotomy for supratentorial recurrent glioma, 18 craniotomies for infratentorial lesions, 1 craniotomy for anterior skull base schwannoma, 32 transphenoidal surgeries, and 1 combined craniotomy and transnasal endoscopic surgery, used DAM allograft to augment dural closure. Only one complication occurred (0.6% complication rate), which was a superficial wound infection requiring washout without craniectomy. No CSF leaks occurred.
Conclusions: This pilot study demonstrates that dehydrated amniotic membrane allograft can be safely utilized as an adjunct during dural closures for craniotomies and transsphenoidal surgeries.
Keywords: Dehydrated amniotic membrane; brain tumor; cerebrospinal fluid leak; dural repair; endoscopic; skull base tumors.