title: Giant cystic craniopharyngiomas with extension into the posterior fossa.
abstract: Between 1991 and 1998, 24 patients underwent surgery for a craniopharyngioma in our department. This group included two patients who had tumors with extensive growth along the midline, and along the posterior fossa in particular. In both cases suprasellar calcifications were typical features on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT). A 7-year-old boy presented with a 6-month history of headache, nausea, and progressive unilateral hearing loss. With a suboccipital approach it was possible to remove the main part of the tumor. In a 13-year-old boy headache and visual deterioration led to the diagnosis of a craniopharyngioma, which was removed with a pterional approach. For the neuroimaging work-up in such cases of atypically growing craniopharyngiomas MRI is the method of choice. Additional CT scanning is recommended, which provides valuable information about bony changes at the skull base due to space-occupying growth. CT substantiates the differential diagnosis if typical calcifications are seen.
authors.affiliation: Neurochirurgische Klinik, Christian-Albrechts-Universität, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Buhl
authors.forename: E W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Barth
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Mehdorn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001845:Bone Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D002530:Cerebellopontine Angle / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D003388:Cranial Fossa, Posterior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D003397:Craniopharyngioma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D005870:Giant Cell Tumors / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012658:Sella Turcica / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012888:Skull Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed