The purely endoscopic endonasal technique may provide a minimally invasive and safe approach to radically resect selected tumors involving the ITF and UPS. Larger case series and longer follow-up are needed to validate the reproducibility and efficacy of this technique.

Background We investigated the role of the soft tissue tract between the primary tumor and the neck lymph nodes, the “T‐N tract,” in patients with tongue squamous cell carcinoma at an advanced stage. Methods We performed a compartmental tongue surgery in 233 patients. Cumulative incidence of relapses and overall survival curves were compared by T‐N tract involvement. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the independent role of T‐N tract. Results At 4 years of follow‐up, patients with disease in the T‐N tract experienced a significantly more distant recurrence (40%) than did patients without T‐N tract involvement (22%; P = .02). Multivariate Cox models indicate a significant almost triple risk of distant metastases (hazard ratio [HR], 2.70; 95% CI, 1.01‐7.19; P = .05) and double risk of death (HR, 2.09; 95%CI, 1.13‐3.85; P = .02) in patients with “T‐N tract involvement.” Conclusions Our data show that the T‐N tract plays an important role in prognosis and survival in patients with tongue cancer.

The endoscopic transnasal approaches are safe and feasible techniques for the radical resection of selected tumors involving the PPF and should be tailored according to the biology and extension of the lesion. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E214-E220, 2016.

The endoscopic endonasal approach is a valid alternative for the vast majority of sinonasal schwannomas with minimal morbidity for the patient. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E2074-E2082, 2016.