Objective To present our experience with management of craniopharyngiomas by endoscopic endonasal approach Methods A retrospective review of clinical data of 65 patients who were treated for craniopharyngiomas by endoscopic endonasal approach from February 2012 to May 2016. All patients were analyzed by treatment effect, complications, and follow-up result. Results Total removal of the tumors were completed in 52 cases (80.0%), subtotal removal in 11 cases (16.9%), and partial resection in 2 cases (3.1%). The pituitary stalks were identified in 57 cases when surgery, and severed in 41 cases (71.9%). Postoperative visual acuity was improved in 31 cases (47.7%), and 6 cases remained in the preoperative level, whereas worsening occurred in 1 case. Worsening of the anterior pituitary function was reported in 21 cases (32.3%). Transient diabetes insipidus after operation was occurred in 45 patients (69.2%), and long-term diabetes insipidus was occurred in 9 cases (13.8%). Postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak was occurred in 4 cases (6.2%), accompanied with intracranial infection, and all these cases were repaired under endoscope again, 3 cases were saved, but 1 case was dead. Perioperative mortality rate was 4.6%. 52 patients were followed up for 4.0 ~ 45.0 (mean, 20.8) months, and 44 patients (84.6%) returned life to normal. Obesity developed in 8 patients (15.4%), with 2 recurrent cases and no deaths during follow-up period. Conclusion The endoscopic endonasal approach is a safe and effective minimally invasive surgery approach for treating craniopharyngiomas, and has its own unique advantage.

Objective:To investigate the surgical approaches and clinical outcomes of endoscopic endonasal approaches (EEA) for trigeminal schwannomas(TSs).Methods:Clinical data, surgical videos and outpatient follow-up notes of 41 patients with TSs and underwent EEA between January 2013 to October 2022 in the Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University were retrospectively studied. The patients were 19 males and 22 females, with an average age of 45.3 (22-63) years old. Twenty-four patients had TSs on the left and 17 on the right. According to Jeong's classification, for 6 TSs with type MP, 2 tumours were resected by trans-Meckel's cave approach (TMCA) alone, and the remaining 4 TSs were resected by combined transclival approach (TCA). For the 4 tumours that involved infratemporal fossa(2 of type E3, 1 of type mE3 and 1 of type Mpe3), the surgery were performed via a trans-prelacrimal recess approach(TPRA), of which the operation for type Mpe3 was combined with a TMCA. The trans-laminal papyracea approach (TLPA) was applied to remove 2 tumours of type E1. The rest of 29 patients received the surgery by TMCA alone to remove tumours including 15 of types M, 10 of type Mp, 1 of type ME2, 2 of type E2 and 1 of type MpE2. Gross total tumour resection was achieved in 40 patients(97.6%), with only 1 patient (2.4%) had a subtotal tumour resection.Results:A total of 40 patients had completed the long-term follow-up, with 1 patient lost in follow-up. The average follow-up period was 34(3-101) months; No tumour recurrence or progression was observed over follow-up. After the surgery, preoperative symptoms were improved in 34 patients(89.5%). The main improved symptoms were: facial numbness(78.9%), facial pain(70.0%), headache(88.2%), mastication weakness (50.0%), poor vision (60.0%), diplopia (83.3%), and abducens nerve palsy (100%). Transient and permanent neurological deficits occurred in 8 (19.5%) and 9 (22.0%) patients, respectively. Cerebrospinal fluid leakage and internal carotid artery injury occurred in 1 patient each.Conclusion:According to the location of a tumour, an appropriate EEA should be selected and satisfactory results can be achieved for all types of tumours, except the TSs that has the main body of the tumour located in the posterior cranial fossa.