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Intracavitary therapy of craniopharyngiomas
B Shapiro1, L M Fig, M D Gross
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, USA.
The Quarterly Journal of Nuclear Medicine : Official Publication of the Italian Association of Nuclear Medicine (AIMN) [And] the International Association of Radiopharmacology (IAR)
|March 25, 2000
Abstract:
Craniopharyngiomas are benign cystic para-hypophyseal tumors often associated with hypopituitarism and visual-field abnormalities. Their therapy by surgery and external beam radiotherapy is imperfect. The intracavitary instillation of beta-emitting colloid radiopharmaceuticals into the cysts permits the delivery of far higher radiation doses to the cyst lining than is possible by external beam radiotherapy. This technique permits destruction of the lining epithelium with resultant elimination of cyst fluid formation and cyst shrinkage in up to 80% of cases.