Update on Tumors for the General Neurosurgeon II: Skull Base, Pediatric and Spine Tumors-Malignancy of the Skull Base

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In the video, the speaker discusses various types of rare tumors in the skull base and the importance of recognizing them for proper management. He explains that there is a difference in the nature of tumors between adults and children, with adults having predominantly epithelial malignancies and children having predominantly sarcomatous tumors. The distribution of tumors also varies, with epithelial tumors being more common in the anterior skull base and soft tissue and bone tumors being more common in the middle and posterior cranial fossa. The speaker emphasizes the importance of a multidisciplinary team in managing these tumors, including pathologists, diagnostic imagers, surgeons, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists. He discusses the role of imaging techniques such as CT, MRI, and PET scans in diagnosing and planning treatment for these tumors. The speaker also discusses the importance of biopsy, expert pathology review, and surgical resection in the overall management of these tumors. He highlights the changing approach to treatment, with an increasing emphasis on multimodal plans that may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. The role of surgery in skull base tumors is evolving, and patient selection is crucial in determining the optimal surgical approach. The speaker also mentions ongoing research in targeted therapies and immunotherapies for certain types of tumors. Overall, the video provides an overview of rare tumors in the skull base and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in managing them.

Asset Subtitle

Franco DeMonte, MD, FAANS, FACS

Keywords

rare tumors

skull base

multidisciplinary team

diagnostic imaging

surgical resection

multimodal treatment

research