Imaging Evaluation and Treatment of Vascular Lesions at the Skull Base

Radiol Clin North Am. 2017 Jan;55(1):151-166. doi: 10.1016/j.rcl.2016.08.003. Epub 2016 Oct 25.

Abstract

A wide range of congenital and acquired vascular entities may occur in the skull base. Although some are diagnosed incidentally and merit no treatment, others may require surgical or image-guided endovascular or percutaneous approaches for management. The complex anatomy of the skull base can make diagnosis challenging. A combination of computed tomography scans and MR imaging, and catheter angiography may be required for diagnosis and mapping. Endovascular treatment plays an important part in many of the acquired vascular lesions, such as vascular neoplasms and traumatic dissections/aneurysms. Endovascular treatment is generally considered the gold standard for the treatment of vascular shunts at the skull base.

Keywords: Cavernous carotid fistula; Dissection; Dural arteriovenous fistula; Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma; Paraganglioma; Preoperative embolization.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations / diagnostic imaging*
  • Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations / surgery*
  • Cerebral Angiography / methods*
  • Cerebrovascular Disorders / diagnostic imaging*
  • Cerebrovascular Disorders / therapy*
  • Computed Tomography Angiography / methods
  • Evidence-Based Medicine
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Angiography / methods
  • Skull Base / blood supply
  • Skull Base / diagnostic imaging*
  • Treatment Outcome