A large planum sphenoidale meningioma with sinonasal extension in a child. Case report and review of the literature.

Anterior cranial base meningiomas are rare tumors in children. Due to the extensive involvement of orbit, paranasal sinuses, midface, and anterior skull base, a multidisciplinary approach is warranted. We present a case of a child with a large planum sphenoidale meningioma extending into subfrontal region, ethmoid and maxillary sinuses inferiorly, and orbits laterally. The patient, a 4-year-old girl, presented with long-standing nasal stuffiness and swelling of the midface. An extended frontobasal approach through a bifrontal craniotomy was used to resect the intracranial portion of this mass. The tumor had eroded through nasal septum, medial orbital walls, and left maxilla, structures which were not readily accessible from a cranial approach alone. A modified Weber-Ferguson incision was used for a transfacial approach to resect the residual mass below the skull base. The advantages of combining the bifrontal craniotomy with a transfacial split provided the added exposure to maximize the extent of resection. Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel