A comparison of children with suprasellar germ cell tumors and craniopharyngiomas: final height, weight, endocrine, and visual sequelae after treatment.
BACKGROUND
Although treatment results of craniopharyngiomas and germ cell tumors in children have been reported extensively, the relationship between various posttreatment sequelae and the nature of the tumor is not well understood.


METHODS
From 1968-94, 47 children with 23 suprasellar germ cell tumors and 24 craniopharyngiomas were treated at Gunma University Hospital, Japan. Forty survivors were assessed with regard to Karnofsky scores, visual scores, final height, final weight, and other endocrine sequelae as long-term functional prognostic indicators.


RESULTS
Kaplan-Meier life-table estimates and Karnofsky scores were not significantly different between the two histologic groups. The visual function of survivors did not differ significantly at diagnosis. However, the final visual function following treatment in the germ cell tumor group was better than in the craniopharyngioma group (p < 0.05). Antidiuretic hormone secretion was significantly impaired at diagnosis in the germ cell tumor group (p < 0.0001). However, there was only a marginally significant difference in posttreatment persistent diabetes insipidus. Craniopharyngioma children were shorter and more obese at diagnosis (p < 0.02), and became much more obese than germinoma children with the same hormone therapy (p < 0.003), although the height difference became insignificant following growth hormone treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Children with craniopharyngiomas tended to have more visual disturbances, increased dwarfism and obesity, and less diabetes insipidus than patients with germ cell tumors despite adequate therapy. The method of quantifying visual function may in itself be useful.
Ono
N
N
Department of Neurosurgery, Gunma University School of Medicine, Japan.
Kohga
H
H
Zama
A
A
Inoue
H K
HK
Tamura
M
M
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D003397:Craniopharyngioma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004700:Endocrine System Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D018237:Germinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D017567:Karnofsky Performance Status; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000378:metabolism; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014794:Visual Fields
D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D013972:Thyrotropin