[Age-related changes of topographic anatomy of trigeminal nerve root entry zone].

Clinical anatomy of trigeminal nerve root was investigated on 51 cadaver human skull base specimen. 102 parameters of trigeminal nerve roots were analyzed. All specimens were divided into 3 groups for definition of age-related changes: < 40 years, between 41 and 50 years, > 50 years.

[Vascular network of the entrance area of the trigeminal nerve root into the brainstem].

High-tech methods of surgical treatment of neural diseases require detailed data on the microanatomy on the base of the brain. Using an original method of dissection of the posterior cranial fossa and brain removal from the skull, the data on microanatomical peculiarities of the entrance area of the trigeminal nerve root into the brainstem were received at autopsies on 48 human subjects. Three variants of arterial blood supply to the trigeminal nerve root and three variants of venous drainage from the cerebellopontine angle are described.

[A transmaxillary transnasal approach to tumors of the base of the skull].

The microsurgical transmaxillary transnasal approach provides a wide access to the midline of the skull base. Since 1994 the approach was performed in 11 patients while resecting malignant and benign skull base tumors by involving the cribriform plate, orbit, maxillary and sphenoidal sinuses, nasal cavity, clivus, and cavernous sinus. The technique is suitable for extradural tumors of the skull base and can be combined with transcranial approaches for more extensive lesions.