Objective: To describe the use of the transglabellar subcranial approach for the management of congenital nasal masses in the pediatric population.
Methods: Case series. Medical records of 5 patients who underwent resection of congenital nasal lesions via the subcranial approach were reviewed.
Results: Five children underwent successful resection of congenital nasal lesions with intracranial extension via the subcranial approach. Lesions resected included nasal dermoids with intracranial extension (n = 3) and encephaloceles (n = 2). Patient age at the time of operation ranged from 13 months to 15 years. All lesions were resected successfully, and there have not been any recurrences. Follow-up has ranged from 1 to 12 years. There has been no apparent negative effect on facial growth in any of these patients.
Conclusions: The subcranial approach is an effective technique for the resection of nasal masses with intracranial extension. These lesions have traditionally been managed with lateral rhinotomy, midface degloving, or external rhinoplasty approaches combined with a frontal craniotomy. The subcranial approach offers several advantages over a traditional frontal craniotomy. It provides excellent exposure, minimizes frontal lobe retraction, reduces the likelihood of cerebrospinal fluid leakage, and provides for an excellent cosmetic result. Long-term follow-up in 5 pediatric patients has shown no recurrence or negative effect on craniofacial growth. These factors make the transglabellar subcranial approach a useful and safe technique for the management of nasal lesions with intracranial extension in very young patients.