Conclusions: Endoscopic techniques seem to be safe approaches for the treatment of esthesioneuroblastomas (ENBs). However, they are intended for selected patients and require extensive experience in base of the skull surgery.
Objectives: ENB is a rare tumor of the nasal cavity. The craniofacial approaches remain the gold standard of treatment in multiple centers. Endoscopic endonasal approaches were progressively developed. The main objective of this work was to study the overall survival and recurrence-free period for patients with ENB who underwent endoscopic resection.
Methods: We performed a retrospective study from 1996 to 2014, reviewing the patients treated by endonasal endoscopic surgery for ENB.
Results: Eight patients benefited from endoscopic surgical resection. According to the Kadish classification, one patient was stage A, three patients were stage B, and four patients were stage C. According to the Dulguerov classification, one patient was stage T1, five patients were stage T2, and two were stage T4. Reconstruction of the base of the skull was performed in three patients. No postoperative complications were noted. The mean follow-up period was 95 months. The 5-year overall survival was 87.5% and the 5-year recurrence-free survival was 75%. To date, there have been no local recurrences but two patients had lymph node recurrences. Seven patients are disease-free and one is deceased.
Keywords: Endoscopic resection; disease-free survival; overall survival; piecemeal resection.