Exclusively endoscopic endonasal resection of benign orbital tumors: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Background The Cavernous Hemangioma Exclusively Endonasal Resection (CHEER) classification system was developed to standardize prospective outcome analysis following orbital cavernous hemangioma (OCH) resection. The goal of this study was to retroactively apply the CHEER system to all prior existing reports of endoscopic resection of primary benign orbital tumors (BOTs) to: (1) compare patient presentations, perioperative characteristics, and outcomes between OCH and other BOTs; and (2) determine whether the CHEER categorization regime could be expanded to other BOTs. Methods A systematic review of studies reporting exclusively endoscopic resections of OCH and other BOTs (eg, solitary fibrous tumor, schwannoma, and meningioma) was performed. Patient, tumor characteristics, and operative outcomes were recorded. All tumors with adequate reporting were retrospectively assigned a CHEER stage. Outcomes were compared using chi‐square or Fisher's exact tests. Results Ninety‐three studies met inclusion criteria, and sufficient data were available in 36 studies, comprising 105 tumors (n = 87 OCHs; n = 18 other BOTs). Baseline patient and tumor characteristics, as well as intraoperative and short‐term postoperative outcomes were not significantly different between OCHs and other BOTs. Long‐term outcomes (eg, visual deficits, diplopia, eye position, and recurrence) also did not differ when controlling for CHEER stage. Conclusion This review represents the largest collection of outcomes data following exclusively endoscopic endonasal resection of BOTs. Short‐term and long‐term outcomes appear similar between OCHs and other BOTs. These results suggest that exclusively endoscopic resection of orbital tumors may be effective in a range of benign pathologies. Furthermore, these results support a broader application of the CHEER system to other benign primary orbital tumors.