Middle Cranial Fossa Approach to Acoustic Tumor Surgery: Unilateral Acoustic Tumors Confined to Internal Auditory Canal

Anatomical Step-by-Step Dissection of Complex Skull Base Approaches for Trainees: Surgical Anatomy of the Middle Fossa Approaches and Anterior Petrosectomy, Surgical Principles, and Illustrative Cases

“…1 2 The MF was described by House in 1961 for hearing preserving VS surgery, and provided the basis for Kawase's development of the AP in 1985 as an alternative to the subtemporal-transtentorial route to the posterior fossa that provided an entirely extradural corridor for petroclival tumors and basilar apex aneurysms. 3 4 5 6 Subsequent surgical modifications have included intradural and combined extradural–intradural techniques, developed to mitigate epidural venous bleeding around the foramen ovale and minimize drilling of the petrous apex. 7 8 Despite these technical innovations and other associated technological advances, surgery involving the anterior aspects of the petrous temporal bone remains a significant challenge, due to the narrow working corridor and high density of critical neurovascular structures.…”