[Neuroendoscopic surgery--current state and future development].

Recently, endoscopic neurosurgery progressed drastically, because of improvement of optical imaging and surgical instruments. Neuroendoscopic surgery reflects the tendency of modern neurosurgery to aim towards minimum invasiveness: that is, access and visualization through the narrowest practical surgical field and get maximum effectiveness. Transventricular approach using neuroendoscope allows the treatment of several pathologies inside the ventricular system, such as non-communicating hydrocephalus and intra/paraventricular tumors or cysts. Endoscopic endonasal trans-sphenoidal surgery as endoscope-controlled neurosurgery allows the treatment of pathologies of the sellar and parasellar region such as pituitary adenoma, clival chordoma, with the advantage of a wide vision of the surgical field. Endoscope-assisted microneurosurgery, particularly in aneurysm and tumor surgery allows precise anuerysmal clipping avoiding obstruction of perforators and parent arteries. Representative cases using neuroendoscope are discussed, concerning main indications, operative instruments and surgical procedures.