Background: The soft tissue dissection for the middle fossa approach requires adequate management of the neuro, vascular, and muscular structures in order to maximize exposure and diminish morbidities.
Methods: An incision anterior to the tragus is performed, extending from the zygomatic process to the superior temporal line. The superior temporal artery is exposed, followed by a subfascial dissection of the frontalis nerve. The temporal muscle is dissected and released from the zygoma. All cranial landmarks are exposed for the 5 × 5 cm temporal fossa craniotomy.
Conclusion: This novel approach provides a safe and adequate access to perform an extended middle fossa craniotomy.
Keywords: Craniotomy; Dissection; Facial nerve injuries; Middle cranial fossa; Temporal muscle.
© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.