Surgical approach to the rostral cranial fossa by radical transfrontal craniotomy in the dog.

To overcome the problems of restricted visibility and surgical mobility, as well as those posed by anatomical features oif the canine subfrontal sinus region and associated dura mater, aggravated by hazards of infection from potentially infected frontal sinuses, of uncontrollable haemorrhage and post-operative brain compression, a radical approach was devised, combining invasion of the frontal sinus with a lateral rostrotentorial craniotomy. This offers adequate surgical manoeuvring space, excellent visualisation of the rostral cranial fossa and its contents, proper asepsis, minimal haemorrhage and no untoward after-effects. The technique lends itself to diverse neurosurgical applications in the rostral cranial fossa of the dog. Particulars of instrumentation, and pre-operative, operative and post-operative procedures, done on 3 Beagles with excellent results, are described.