Preoperative planning with a 3D model and repair of sphenoid dysplasia: a technical note

Sphenoid dysplasia is a distinctive marker of neurofibromatosis 1. It is a malformation of the sphenoid bone characterized by an enlargement of the superior orbital fissure, through which the intracranial content herniates, leading to a facial disfigurement and exophthalmos and to a potential visual deterioration. Surgical treatment has the aim of separating the intracranial from the intraorbital space. We present a new technique for the repair of sphenoid dysplasia, based on the preoperative planning on a 3D print of the skull base. The use of a 3D skull base model allows an effective surgical planning and a precise modelling of the titanium mesh, which is implanted to separate the intracranial from the intraorbital space.