ANOSMIA AFTER ANTERIOR COMMUNICATING ARTERY ANEURYSM SURGERY - COMPARISON BETWEEN THE ANTERIOR INTERHEMISPHERIC AND BASAL INTERHEMISPHERIC APPROACHES

THE OLFACTORY FUNCTION could be examined in 101 of 138 patients with a nterior communicating artery aneurysms, whom we treated during a recen t 6-year period. Among them, 49 patients underwent surgery by the ante rior interhemispheric approach and 52 underwent surgery by the basal i nterhemispheric approach. Fifteen patients (31%) exhibited anosmia aft er surgery by the anterior interhemispheric approach, whereas only one patient (1.9%) exhibited anosmia after surgery by the basal interhemi spheric approach. Unilateral dural incision and unilateral brain retra ction without elevation of the frontal lobe from the frontal base are important, because frontal lobe depression and elevation during surger y may injure the olfactory nerve.