Endoscopic, Endonasal Variability in the Anatomy of the Internal Carotid Artery

2014 ◽  
Vol 82 (6) ◽  
pp. e759-e764 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hélène Cebula ◽  
Almaz Kurbanov ◽  
Lee A. Zimmer ◽  
Pavel Poczos ◽  
James L. Leach ◽  
...  
2020 ◽  
Vol 133 (5) ◽  
pp. 1382-1387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei-Hsin Wang ◽  
Stefan Lieber ◽  
Ming-Ying Lan ◽  
Eric W. Wang ◽  
Juan C. Fernandez-Miranda ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVEInjury to the internal carotid artery (ICA) is the most critical complication of endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery. Packing with a crushed muscle graft at the injury site has been an effective management technique to control bleeding without ICA sacrifice. Obtaining the muscle graft has typically required access to another surgical site, however. To address this concern, the authors investigated the application of an endonasally harvested longus capitis muscle patch for the management of ICA injury.METHODSOne colored silicone-injected anatomical specimen was dissected to replicate the surgical access to the nasopharynx and the stepwise dissection of the longus capitis muscle in the nasopharynx. Two representative cases were selected to illustrate the application of the longus capitis muscle patch and the relevance of clinical considerations.RESULTSA suitable muscle graft from the longus capitis muscle could be easily and quickly harvested during endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery. In the illustrative cases, the longus capitis muscle patch was successfully used for secondary prevention of pseudoaneurysm formation following primary bleeding control on the site of ICA injury.CONCLUSIONSNasopharyngeal harvest of a longus capitis muscle graft is a safe and practical method to manage ICA injury during endoscopic endonasal surgery.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 577-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric C Mason ◽  
Patricia A Hudgins ◽  
Gustavo Pradilla ◽  
Nelson M Oyesiku ◽  
C Arturo Solares

Abstract BACKGROUND Endoscopic endonasal surgery of the skull base requires expert knowledge of the anatomy and a systematic approach. The vidian canal is regarded as a reliable landmark to localize the petrous internal carotid artery (pICA) near the second genu, which can be used for orientation in deep skull base approaches. There is controversy about the relationship between the vidian canal and the pICA. OBJECTIVE To further establish the vertical relationship between the vidian canal and the pICA to aid in surgical approaches to the skull base. METHODS We utilized a collection of institutional review board-approved computed tomographic (CT) angiograms (CTAs). Fifty CTAs were studied bilaterally for 100 total sides. The vidian canal was visualized radiographically to determine whether it terminates below, at, or above the level of the pICA. RESULTS Sixty-six of 100 vidian canals terminated inferior to the pICA (66%), which was the most common relationship observed. The average distance inferior to the pICA was 1.01 mm on the right, 1.18 mm on the left, and 1.09 mm of the total 66 sides. Less commonly, the vidian canal terminated at the level of the pICA canal in 34 sides (34%). The vidian canal was not observed to terminate superior to the pICA in any of the 50 CTAs studied. CONCLUSION The vidian canal terminates inferior to the pICA most commonly, but often terminates at the level of the pICA. Careful drilling clockwise inferior to superior around the vidian canal should allow for safe pICA localization in most cases.


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 432-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleonora Marcati ◽  
Norberto Andaluz ◽  
Sebastien C Froelich ◽  
Lee A Zimmer ◽  
James L Leach ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUND Although the term paraclival carotid pervades recent skull base literature, no clear consensus exists regarding boundaries or anatomical segments. OBJECTIVE To reconcile various internal carotid artery (ICA) nomenclatures for transcranial and endoscopic-endonasal perspectives, we reexamined the transition between lacerum (C3) and cavernous (C4) segments using a C1-C7 segments schema. In this cadaveric study, we obtained a 360°-circumferential view integrating histological, microsurgical, endoscopic, and neuroradiological analyses of this C3-C4 region and identified a distinct transitional segment. METHODS In 13 adult, silicone-injected, formalin-fixed cadaveric heads (26 sides), transcranial-extradural-subtemporal and endoscopic-endonasal CT­guided dissections were performed. A quadrilateral area was noted medial to Meckel's cave between cranial nerve VI, anterolateral and posterolateral borders of the lateral-paratrigeminal aspect of the precavernous ICA, and posterior longitudinal ligament. Endoscopically, a medial-paraclival aspect was defined. Anatomical correlations were made with histological and neuroradiological slides. RESULTS We identified a distinct precavernous C3-C4 transitional segment. In 18 (69%) specimens, venous channels were absent at the quadrilateral area, on the paratrigeminal border of the precavernous ICA. A trigeminal membrane, seen consistently on the superior border of V2, defined the lateral aspect of the cavernous sinus floor. The medial aspect of the precavernous ICA corresponded with the paraclival ICA. CONCLUSION Our study revealing the juncture of 2 complementary borders of the ICA, endoscopic endonasal (paraclival) and transcranial (paratrigeminal), reconciles various nomenclature. A precavernous segment may clarify controversies about the paraclival ICA and support the concept of a “safe door” for lesions involving Meckel's cave, cavernous sinus, and petrous apex.


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