The Impact of Age on Long-Term Quality of Life after Endonasal Endoscopic Resection of Skull Base Meningiomas

BACKGROUND: Midline ventral skull base meningiomas may be amenable to an endonasal endoscopic approach, which has theoretical advantages and may help preserve quality of life (QOL) when compared with transcranial approaches. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of age on QOL following endonasal endoscopic surgery, given the documented impact of age on QOL outcomes following transcranial resection of midline ventral skull base meningiomas. METHODS: We reviewed a prospectively acquired database of endonasal endoscopic surgery for meningiomas. Inclusion criteria included patients who had completed long-term postoperative (≥6 months follow-up) QOL questionnaires (Anterior Skull Base Questionnaire [ASBQ] and Sino-Nasal Outcome Test [SNOT-22]). Postoperative QOL scores were also compared with preoperative QOL in a patient subset. RESULTS: Long-term QOL data were available in 34 patients. Average postoperative ASBQ and SNOT-22 scores were 3.39 and 23.0, respectively. Better QOL was statistically associated with age <55 (P .02). In a subset of patients, preoperative and postoperative ASBQ and SNOT-22 scores were compared. Only SNOT-22 scores significantly increased from 15.9 + 20.8 to 25.9 + 19.5 (P .04). CONCLUSION: We report the first study specifically evaluating long-term QOL after endonasal endoscopic resection of skull base meningiomas. QOL was decreased postoperatively in patients aged ≥55. ABBREVIATIONS: ASBQ, Anterior Skull Base Questionnaire GTR, gross total resection QOL, quality of life SNOT-22, 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test.