Quality-of-life assessment in patients with lesions of the cranial base

Lesions of the cranial base have a propensity to affect physical, mental and social well-being of the patient. Cranial Base surgeons have a duty to go beyond the standard outcome measures of survival and morbidity in presenting the results of surgery for lesions of the cranial base. This paper reviews the fundamental features of quality of life outcome measures as applied to the field of skull base surgery. The author reviews the The Glasgow Outcome Scale, the Karnofsky Score, Spitzer Quality of Life Index, the Sickness Impact Profile, the Rand 36 (MOS-SF 36), the FACT G health-related quality of life scale and the University of Washington Quality of Life Scale for their use in the field cranial base surgery. Major advances in cranial base surgery will be facilitated by the use of scientifically sound and practical health-related quality of life outcome measures.