Surgical Approach of the Clivus and Anterior Cervical Spine

사대 및 전경추부의 수술적 접근법

Background: An increasing number of traumatic, infectious, degenerative, benign, and malignant lesions of the clivus and cervical spine are treated by head and neck surgeons. Surgical techniques vary according to the exact level of the lesion. Objectives: The purpose of this article are to introduce the surgical approach and to discript our experience and to analyze the advantage of the each methods. Materials and Methods: Transpalatal approach in clivus chordoma, transoral approach in C2 fibrous dysplasia, trans mandibular approach in clivus meningioma and transcervical approach in neulilemmoma were reviewed from the medical record. Results: Postoperative complications occured. Otitis media with effusion were observed in transoral and trans mandibular approach. Cranial nerve paralysis was observed in transcervical approach. But other complications such as swallowing difficulty persisting over 6 weeks, malunion of mandible, orocutaneous fistula, hemorrhage from major vessel were not observed. Conclusion: The various surgical techniques to be described herein serve to give the best exposure of each level of the lesions. Therefore head and neck surgeon plays a major role in the treatment of lesion in the clivus and anterior cervical spine according to the lower incidence of postoperative morbidity.