ABSTRACT
Management of skull base neoplasms requires a team approach, whose members are dedicated and specifically experienced at dealing with these unique tumors. The radiologist is no exception. Imaging plays a vital role in the diagnosis and posttreatment evaluation of skull base tumors. Although radiologists traditionally concern themselves with preoperative diagnosis, it will be my argument that because such a goal is not attainable in every case, there are more important things for us to achieve with our time and technology. The goal of imaging of known or suspected skull base tumors is several-fold. Firstly, some patients not known but only suspected of having a possible skull base tumor (based on pain, cranial neuropathy, etc.) require imaging simply to establish or exclude such a diagnosis. For those with known skull base tumors, the role of imaging is to establish the full extent and location of the abnormality, outline areas of possible spread and secondary effects on adjacent structures, exclude nodal disease, and finally, suggest possible histologic diagnosis (1). In some cases, distinguishing tumor frombenigndisease entities such as skull base osteomyelitis and other inflammations is a critical role of imaging. Obviously when possible, the radiologist can suggest a diagnosis, and in fact formany lesions the imaging is quite characteristic (1,2).
