An Anatomical Approach to the Pediatric Skull Base: Part 1 Anterior Cranial Fossa
Purpose or Case Report: 1. Review the normal development and anatomy of the anterior skull base. 2. Describe the variety of pathologies affecting the anterior cranial fossa in the pediatric age group with a focus on the typical computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics. 3. Discuss clinical management and imaging follow up of anterior cranial fossa pathology. Methods & Materials: We reviewed skull base imaging including brain CT and MRI for pediatric patients from age 0 to 18 years. This exhibit will review the clinical presentation of anterior skull base lesions, typical and atypical locations and etiologies. Classic and unique cases will be presented with particular emphasis on CT and MRI imaging findings.
Results: The anterior skull base is formed by the orbital planes of the frontal bone laterally, ethmoid bone in the midline and posteriorly by the sphenoid wing. Key anatomic locations in the anterior cranial fossa include the cribriform plate, the crista galli, the foramen cecum and the planum sphenoidale. Entities involving the anterior cranial fossa can be classified as: 1. Congenital pathologies including nasal dermal sinus and frontoethmoidal cephalocele. 2. Traumatic lesions involving the cribriform plate 3. Malignant neoplasms including esthesioneuroblastoma, sinonasal carcinoma and metastatic disease. 4. Benign lesions including fibro-osseous disease, osteomas, sinonasal mucoceles and meningiomas 5. Infectious etiologies including atypical and fungal infections in immunosuppressed patients
Conclusions: Knowledge of normal development of the skull base is essential in pediatric patients to avoid over diagnosis as malignant and aggressive lesions are less frequent when compared to the adult population. This exhibit will explore various anterior skull base pathologies in the pediatric patient population with focus on the particular CT and MR imaging characteristics.
Vijapura, Charmi
( University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
, Iowa City
, Iowa
, United States
)
Dennhardt, Joel
( University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
, Iowa City
, Iowa
, United States
)
Fuortes, Michaelangelo
( University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
, Iowa City
, Iowa
, United States
)
Policeni, Bruno
( University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
, Iowa City
, Iowa
, United States
)
Sato, Yutaka
( University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
, Iowa City
, Iowa
, United States
)
Sato, T Shawn
( University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
, Iowa City
, Iowa
, United States
)
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