Clinical and Anatomical Rationale for the use of Fronto-Orbito-Zygomatic (foz) approach for the Surgical Treatment of Tumors of the Orbit and Cranioorbital Region.
Authors: Lystratenko O.I. 
Published: January 2021

The article discusses and analyzes the results of the treatment of 56 patients with tumors of the orbit, cranioorbital region, operated at the neurosurgery clinic DCTMA in Donetsk from 2015 to February 2020, with various surgical approaches. Goals and objectives: coverage of clinical signs and symptoms, histology, diagnostic methods and treatment of patients operated on with tumors of the orbit and cranioorbital region for the period 2015-2020. The rationale for the use of front-orbit-zygomatic access as the optimal surgical access to tumors of the orbit and cranioorbital region of various localization, to perform radical organ-preserving surgery, with the maximum preservation of visual function, minimizing oculomotor disturbances, patient disability, good cosmetic effect in the postoperative period. Materials and methods: we analyzed the clinical cases of 56 patients who underwent treatment in DCTMA with tumors of the orbit, cranioorbital region for the period from 2015 to March 2020. Patients were operated on with different approaches - transcutaneous, subconjunctival, front-orbit-zygomatic, pterional, subfrontal. Surgical approaches were determined individually, depending on the location, size of the tumor, involvement in the process of the underlying structures of the orbit, adjacent anatomical areas (frontal, maxillary sinuses, cranial cavity, bones of the base of the skull). In 2 cases of lesions of the orbit by the tumor process a relapse of the tumor growth was obtained: one patient with aggressive adenocarcinoma, after 18 months, leading to orbital exenteration, and a 9-year-old child with rhabdomyosarcoma after non-radical removal of the tumor by subconjunctival approach. In all other cases, no relapses were noted; the operations were organ-preserving. Conclusions: the results of treatment of patients with orbital tumors directly depend on the radical removal of the neoplasm, which is associated with the choice of surgical approach, the use of chemo-, radiation therapy in the postoperative period, depending on the histological response. Advantages and versatility of FOZ - approach: ─ gives good visibility of all structures of the orbit, paraorbital regions, including the cranial region; ─ allows to perform organ-sparing operations to remove tumors of cranioorbital localization of any size; ─ provides radical removal of the neoplasm; ─ maximum preservation of vision function; ─ minimization of oculomotor disorders, patient disability; ─ good cosmetic effect. Indications for front-orbit-zygomatic access: ─ large formations of orbit (more than 2.5-3 cm in diameter), with diffuse growth in the capsule, including a metastatic one; ─ osteomas of the walls of the orbit, meningiomas with intracranial, intraorbital growth, fibrous dysplasia of the bones of the skull base, causing compression of blood vessels and nerves, functional disorders of the eye; ─ tumors of the apical part of the orbit, including the optic nerve. The disadvantages of the method are the technical complexity for ophthalmologist surgeons, by the routinism of the manipulation for neurosurgeon. In this regard, surgery of orbital tumors, cranioorbital localization, is subject to the competence of doctors of related specialties, including neurosurgeons.