Microscopic with Endoscopic Surgery via Subtemporal Approach for Cavernous Sinus Cholesteatomas

Objective: The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze the clinical data of 16 patients with cavernous sinus cholesteatomas, explore the surgical outcomes, and summarize the surgical experience.

Methods: Patients with cavernous sinus cholesteatomas underwent surgery between June 2016 and June 2022 at the Department of Neurosurgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University. Clinical data were obtained from all patients for analysis.

Results: Common preoperative symptoms included headache, dizziness, diplopia, ptosis, and facial numbness. There were 7 patients with 2 or more symptoms. There were 13 patients with total resection and 3 patients with subtotal resection. There were 5 patients with improved postoperative symptoms, 10 patients with no significant change, and 1 patient with worse symptoms. New postoperative cranial nerve defects occurred in 4 patients. During the follow-up, all patients had favorable prognosis without progression.

Conclusions: Using "double-scope" technique, the subtemporal approach, a surgical strategy for cavernous sinus cholesteatomas, was sufficient to completely resect the tumors.