Management of Craniopharyngioma

Craniopharyngiomas are one of the most challenging problems for neurosurgeons because of the high recurrence rates due to their localization and associated endocrinological disorders. This study reports the outcomes of surgeries and recurrence rates of 45 craniopharyngioma cases.

Patients who were diagnosed with craniopharyngioma in the authors' clinic between 1998 and 2016 evaluated retrospectively.

A total of 45 patients (25 males and 20 females; age, 3-56 years) who had previously undergone surgery for craniopharyngioma were enrolled and followed up for 12 to 222 months (mean follow-up duration, 73.5 ± 55.2 months). Among these, 25 were children (55.5%) with a mean age of 9.5 ± 4.6 years and 20 were adults (45.5%) with a mean age of 37.2 ± 12.7 years. A total of 39 (86.6%) patients underwent total tumor resection, while 6 (13.4%) underwent subtotal tumor removal. During 12 to 30 months of follow-up, the progression of residual tumor was recorded in 4 patients, 3 of whom underwent surgery and postoperative radiotherapy. Despite the total resection of tumor in their first surgery, 3 patients showed tumor recurrence during 15 to 34 months of the follow-up.

Our findings suggest that the total resection of craniopharyngiomas, when possible, results in a favorable quality of life, with acceptable mortality and morbidity rates.