Skull Base

What we do

We are the largest Skull Base Unit in London and treat patients referred from around the UK and worldwide.

We provide the service jointly with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

The combined unit manages and treats diseases and conditions in or close to the side of (lateral) and in front of (anterior) the base of the skull.

These include:

• benign and malign tumours such as vestibular schwannomas (acoustic neuromas), meningiomas, epidermoids and paragangliomas
• chronic infections
• cerebrospinal (CSF) fluid leaks.
  

King's holds multidisciplinary clinics and carries out all intradural surgery.

King’s and Guy’s both carry out extradural surgery.

Location

Suite 5, Golden Jubilee Wing, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 9RS

Contact Details

• Main Reception: +44 (0)20 3299 4285
• Skull Base Pathway Co-ordinator: +44 (0)20 3299 4285

Patient Information Leaflets

Conditions we treat

We manage neoplastic, infective and traumatic conditions of and adjacent to either side of the skull base.

These include:

• vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma)
• skull base meningiomas
• cervical and skull base paragangliomas
• other cranial nerve schwannomas including parapharyngeal
• epidermoids/cholesteatoma
• chondrosarcoma
• olfactory neuroblastoma and other sinonasal malignancy
• juvenile nasal angiofibroma
• clival chordoma
• petrous apex pathology
• encephalocele and CSF leaks.
  

We do not see patients with intraparenchymal brain tumours. Please refer them to Neuro-oncology.

Booking a patient at King's

Routine Referrals

Routine referrals are reviewed in the Skull Base MDT meetings held every first and fourth Monday of the month.

To ensure a referral is included in the meeting, please complete the Skull Base referral form below and email it to the Skull Base team at kch-tr.skullbase@nhs.net.

You can also contact the Skull Base Pathway Coordinator on 020 3299 4285.

A Skull Base referral form must be completed and sent to the Skull Base Pathway Coordinator for each referred patient.

The results of all investigations, such as CTs, MRIs and other relevant tests, must be sent/image-linked to King's Radiology Department.

Emergency Referrals

For emergency referrals, call King's main switchboard on 020 3299 9000 and ask to speak to the on-call Neurosurgical Registrar.

Urgent referrals can also be faxed to King's Neurosurgery Department on 020 3299 3280.

The MRI/CT scan must be image-linked to King's Radiology Department the same day.

Other Queries

For all other queries and advice on urgent and routine referrals and appointments, contact the Skull Base Pathway Coordinator:

Tel 020 3299 4285
Email kch-tr.skullbase@nhs.net

Referral Forms

Please complete the relevant form and note any pre-consultation investigations required:

• Skull Base referral form

Key Clinical Staff