Involvement of the cavernous sinus by malignant (extracranial) tumour: palliation in six cases without surgery

Involvement of the cavernous sinus region due to haematogenous spread or by local extension of a malignant head and neck tumour does not occur frequen tly. Six patients were treated by external beam radiation with (n=3) or wit hout neoadjuvant chemotherapy between December 1989 and February 1996. Mani festations of the condition mainly consisted of fifth and sixth cranial ner ve deficits (n = 4). Complete resolution of cranial nerve deficits after th erapy occurred in two of the four patients with only three individuals havi ng been evaluable. Three of the six patients survived for more than 3 years. Thus, palliation can be achieved by chemoradiation or radiotherapy alone, and long term surv ival is not precluded. (C) 2000 European Association for Cranio-Maxillofaci al Surgery.