Intracystic chemotherapy with bleomycin in the treatment of craniopharyngiomas

Since bleomycin has not yet been used very frequently in the treatment of patients with craniopharyngioma, it seemed important to document the course of a series of such patients treated with this preparation.

Local chemotherapy with bleomycin was performed in 24 patients (20 children and 4 adults), 16 of whom presented with cystic or mixed (solid/cystic) craniopharyngioma and 8, with recurrent cystic craniopharyngioma. The drug was administered through an Ommaya reservoir, which was placed either by using a direct surgical approach (6 patients) or a stereotactic approach (16 patients), or with endoscopic assistance in patients with hydrocephaly (2 patients). Injection of bleomycin was always preceded by a water-tightness test. Each patient received a 3-mg dose of bleomycin every other day. The total dose of bleomycin injected ranged from 28 mg to 150 mg. Most patients (17, or 70%) were treated only with intracystic chemotherapy. Chemotherapy was followed by surgery in 7 patients. Five were operated on at the beginning of our study, and 2 required surgery because chemotherapy yielded poor results. A toxic dose was injected in 1 patient only: a severe complication, i.e. blindness, was observed. The follow-up period ranged from 2 years to 10 years.

Our results show that bleomycin can be an alternative in the treatment of cystic craniopharyngiomas or cystic recurrences, as it reduces surgical morbidity and improves clinical results.