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Updated: Jun 18, 2026
09:55
Generation and Quantitative Characterization of Functional and Polarized Biliary Epithelial Cysts
Published on: May 16, 2020
A partially ossified solid and cystic Rathke cleft cyst.
Yoshikazu Ogawa1, Teiji Tominaga
1Department of Neurosurgery, Kohnan Hospital, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. yogawa@kohnan-sendai.or.jp
Journal of Neurosurgery
|December 8, 2009
Summary
A rare solid and cystic Rathke cleft cyst with partial ossification caused bitemporal hemianopia. Surgical removal led to immediate visual recovery, highlighting the complex nature of this rare sellar lesion.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Endocrinology
- Pathology
Background:
- Rathke cleft cysts (RCCs) originate from Rathke pouch remnants.
- Typical RCCs present as cystic lesions with fluid content on MRI.
- Rarely, RCCs exhibit thickened or calcified walls due to chronic inflammation.
Observation:
- A 21-year-old woman presented with bitemporal hemianopia.
- MRI revealed a massive solid and cystic sellar lesion compressing the optic chiasm.
- The lesion demonstrated partial ossification, an extremely rare finding in RCCs.
Findings:
- Transsphenoidal surgery achieved total resection of the sellar lesion.
- Histopathology confirmed a Rathke cleft cyst with extensive fibrosis, granulation, and mature bone formation.
- The presence of a solid component and ossification represents a novel presentation of RCC.
Implications:
- This case expands the known spectrum of Rathke cleft cyst presentations.
- Highlights the importance of considering rare pathologies in sellar region masses.
- Successful surgical intervention can restore visual function in complex RCC cases.
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