Combined treatment with stereotactic intracavitary irradiation and gamma knife surgery for craniopharyngiomas.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of the combined treatment of stereotactic intracavitary irradiation and Gamma Knife surgery on craniopharyngiomas.


METHODS
Combined treatment with stereotactic instillation of radioisotopes and Gamma Knife surgery was performed on 46 patients with craniopharyngioma between October 1996 and June 1999. There were 13 solid tumors and 33 mixed solid and cystic tumors.


RESULTS
38 patients (10 solid and 28 mixed) were followed up from 6 months to two years. The tumor control rate was 90% in solid tumors, 85.7% in mixed tumors, 92.1% in the solid segment and 89.5% in total.


CONCLUSIONS
Gamma Knife surgery plays an important role in the treatment of the solid component of craniopharyngiomas and the combination of treatment is a simple, safe and effective method for treatment of craniopharyngiomas, especially for the recurrent mixed solid and cystic tumors.
Yu
X
X
Neurosurgical Department, Navy General Hospital, Beijing, China. Yuxin37@263.net
Liu
Z
Z
Li
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001918:Brachytherapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003397:Craniopharyngioma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D003399:Craniotomy; D003560:Cysts / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D010761:Phosphorus Radioisotopes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016634:Radiosurgery; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology
D010761:Phosphorus Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals