The authors provide a review, previously unpublished in our country, of the development of cranial base surgery.This deals with the surgical solution of developmental,traumatic, vascular and tumourous pathology in the anatomically most complicated regions of the human body. Explosive development of this surgery occurred in the last twenty years. The development of cranial base surgery relied on improvement in microsurgical techniques and knowledge of microanatomy in this region (detailed topographical relationships of the CNS and cranial nerves, vessels, intraosseous organs of the temporal bone and other anatomical structures of the skull base).The development also paralleled that of imaging radiological techniques CT,MRI, DSA, of intervention radiology and, of course, of anaesthesia. A necessary requirement was the interdisciplinary collaboration of neurosurgery, otology and maxillofacial surgery, where each discipline had to overstep its boundaries. An extensive region of skull base is anatomically divided into 1. anterior fossa and hypophysal region, 2. posterior fossa, pontocerebellar angle and temporal bone, 3. middle fossa and 4. the central region of skull base. Given chapters present an overview of the development of individual surgical approaches and the detailed references are at the same time the basis for study and theoretical mastering of modern surgical technologies. In this way, these surgeries stopped being the exclusive domain of 3-4 most advanced surgeons in the world and these pathologies could be systematically and successfully solved in individual countries. Concentration in specialized centres was necessary. The discussion also gives an overview of the development of the world and European specialized society, including the history of the top world and European conferences. A special attention is paid to the development of cranial base surgery in our countries.

        Key words: surgery, skull base, history, surgical approaches