Indications for computer-assisted surgery in otorhinolaryngology.

Indications for the use of computer-assisted surgery (CAS) in otorhinolaryngology can be grouped into several domains including the following: difficult cases involving the anterior, middle, and posterior skull base, especially the rhinobasis or laterobasis, and diseases of the petrous bone, the infratemporal fossa, the retromaxillar space, and the orbit; extended paranasal sinus surgery and revision cases with surgically altered anatomic landmarks; and use for educational purposes where CAS can provide better instruction in surgical anatomy by relating the surgical field to radiological sectional images. A new field for CAS is surgery of the inferior neck soft tissues or pathologic processes reaching into the upper mediastinum.