3D-FIESTA MR Images Are Useful in the Evaluation of the Endoscopic Expanded Endonasal Approach for Midline Skull-base Lesions

The endoscopic expanded endonasal approach (EEA) has been reported in literature as a useful tool to treat sellar, parasellar, suprasellar, and clival lesions. The endoscope permits a panoramic view rather than a narrow microscopic view, and this approach can reach the lesion without brain retraction and with minimal neurovascular manipulation. However, because of the narrow corridor, the preoperative evaluation of the lesions should be of high priority. 3D fast-imaging employing steady-state acquisition (3D-FIESTA) or constructive interference in steady state (CISS) MR imaging provides high spatial resolution in the small structures within the cisterns. Therefore, this technique may be useful for better preoperative planning in detecting optic nerve, oculomotor nerve, chiasma, infundibulum, pituitary stalk, and small vessels in sellar region. Here we used the 3D-FIESTA MR images to evaluate EEA for seven midline skull-base lesions. Our report showed that, when EEA was used to treat midline skull-base lesions, 3D-FIESTA MR images were valuable in the assessment of vital structures in and around the tumor-involved midline skull-base region. 3D-FIESTA MR images can help in making a better preoperative planning, locating the intraoperative structures, and reducing the surgical risks. Otherwise, this approach is helpful for the craniopharyngioma classification based on EEA.