Unilateral Frontal Interhemispheric Transfalcial Approaches for the Removal of Olfactory Groove Meninjiomas

AIM: A unilateral subfrontal interhemispheric transfalcial approach for the removal of olfactory groove meningiomas (OGM) was evaluated in terms of surgical technique, complications, clinical outcomes, and recurrence rate. MATERIAL and METHODS: Twenty-four females and eighteen males with a mean age of 59 years were operated on for OGM within a 12-year (1996-2008) period. The pre- and post-operative Mini-Mental Test (MMT) scores, visual impairment scores (VIS), pre-operative clinical symptoms (headache, epileptic seizure and anosmia), Karnofsky performance scores (KPS), tumor size and tumor extensions were evaluated. The effects of the pre-operative parameters on post-operative MMT, VIS and KPS were investigated. RESULTS: Tumor size and pre-operative MMT significantly affected pre-operative KPS. Mean tumor diameter was 5.6 +/- 0.8 cm. Total excision was achieved in 97.6% of all cases. No pen-operative mortality was seen. Ten patients (23.8%) experienced surgery-related complications. The mean follow-up period of cases was 52 months, and the rate of residual tumor re-growth was 2.3%. No parameter showed any effect on post-operative KPS, as no significant difference was seen between pre- and post-operative KPS. A significant positive difference was detected between pre- and post-operative MMT and VIS. CONCLUSION: A unilateral subfrontal interhemispheric transfalcial approach can be the preferred modality for treating OGM.