title: Craniopharyngioma: pitfalls in diagnosis.
abstract: A 28-year old man presented with decreased vision and a bitemporal hemianopia. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging demonstrated what appeared to be an enlarged optic chiasm and, on T2-weighted images, hypersignal extending along the optic tracts. This was felt to represent an intrinsic chiasmal mass, most likely a chiasmal glioma. Biopsy specimens from the first craniotomy were nondiagnostic. With continued visual failure, the patient underwent a second operation, and the correct diagnosis of craniopharyngioma was established. This article emphasizes the difficulties encountered with neuroradiologic evaluation and histopathologic study of craniopharyngioma.
authors.affiliation: Combined Program in Ophthalmology, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Brummitt
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Kline
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003390:Cranial Nerve Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D003397:Craniopharyngioma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005910:Glioma / Q000175:diagnosis; D006423:Hemianopsia / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009901:Optic Nerve Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014792:Visual Acuity