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Review article| Volume 14, ISSUE 4, P527-545, October 2003

Surgical approaches to posterior third ventricular tumors

      Advanced microsurgical techniques combined with improved neuroanesthetic and postoperative critical care have made aggressive surgical resection a mainstay in the management of posterior third ventricular and pineal region tumors. Although a variety of approaches to the posterior third ventricle have been designed [
      • Horrax G
      Extirpation of a huge pinealoma from a patient with pubertas praecox.
      ,
      • Kawashima M
      • Rhoton Jr., A.L
      • Matsushima T
      Comparison of posterior approaches to the posterior incisural space: microsurgical anatomy and proposal of a new method, the occipital bi-transtentorial/falcine approach.
      ,
      • Ogata N
      • Yonekawa Y
      Paramedian supracerebellar approach to the upper brain stem and peduncular lesions.
      ,
      • Poppen J.L
      The right occipital approach to a pinealoma.
      ,
      • Sekhar L.N
      • Goel A
      Combined supratentorial and infratentorial approach to large pineal-region meningioma.
      ,
      • Van Wagenen W.P
      A surgical approach for the removal of certain pineal tumors.
      ,
      • Yonekawa Y
      • Imhof H.G
      • Taub E
      • et al.
      Supracerebellar transtentorial approach to posterior temporomedial structures.
      ], three are in common use. The infratentorial-supracerebellar approach takes advantage of a natural corridor between the cerebellum and the tentorium. Supratentorial approaches include the interhemispheric-transcallosal and occipital-transtentorial approaches. Choosing the optimal surgical approach depends on the anatomic extent of the tumor as well as on the preference and experience of the surgeon. Refinements in surgical technique have led to a more favorable outlook for patients with these uncommon tumors.
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