Berhanu H Michael1, Tadese Kebede1, Hagos Biluts1, Getachew Affefa2, Jacob Schneider3, Stephen R Freidberg4. 1. Section of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 2. Department of Radiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 3. Department of Pathology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 4. Department of Neurosurgery, Lahey Clinic, Burlington, Massachusetts, USA. Electronic address: stephen.r.freidberg@lahey.org.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Removal of a tumor involving both the intracranial space and the skull presents technical challenges. This is especially so if there is a potential for significant hemorrhage due to a hemangioma or a significant attachment to the brain as with a meningioma. CASE DESCRIPTION: We describe a technique where the tumor attached to the skull is left undisturbed and a second wider concentric craniotomy exposes normal dura. The entire tumor, both intracranial and that involving the skull and dura, can then be removed as one specimen. CONCLUSION: The technique we describe, a concentric craniotomy, transforms a difficult operation with the potential for significant hemorrhage into a more standard removal of a convexity tumor.
BACKGROUND: Removal of a tumor involving both the intracranial space and the skull presents technical challenges. This is especially so if there is a potential for significant hemorrhage due to a hemangioma or a significant attachment to the brain as with a meningioma. CASE DESCRIPTION: We describe a technique where the tumor attached to the skull is left undisturbed and a second wider concentric craniotomy exposes normal dura. The entire tumor, both intracranial and that involving the skull and dura, can then be removed as one specimen. CONCLUSION: The technique we describe, a concentric craniotomy, transforms a difficult operation with the potential for significant hemorrhage into a more standard removal of a convexity tumor.