A trans-orofacial approach for the removal of an extracranial meningioma in the skull base.

Two rare cases of extracranial meningiomas associated with intracranial masses are reported. From the roentgenological findings both of the tumors were regarded as being partly connected. The tumors were surgically treated 21 and 19 years, respectively, after the first removal of the intracranial masses. They appeared as nasal-oral and orbicular masses, respectively, and were histologically diagnosed as meningotheliomatous meningioma. In one case a partial removal of a naso-oral tumor, including a subtotal removal of the tumor in the lateral orbital cavity, was performed by Weber-Kocher's incision plus Krönlein's incision. In the other case a tumor was removed via a transoral route by a lateral retraction of one half of the mandible after cutting it into halves. Our operative approaches and origins of the tumor are discussed.