title: Role of radiosurgery in craniopharyngiomas: a preliminary report.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this retrospective review is to evaluate our experience using radiosurgery in the management of craniopharyngiomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen patients, 6 males and 8 females, ages ranging from 3 to 44 years of age, were treated with radiosurgery from February 1994 through December 2000 for primary or recurrent craniopharyngioma. There were two adults and 12 children. All patients were treated with the Leksell Gamma units Model U or C. The mean minimum dose was 14 Gy ranging from 11 to 20 Gy and the mean maximum dose was 29 Gy ranging from 24 to 40 Gy. Volume of treatment ranged from 0.1 to 26.5 cm(3). The dose to critical structures was below 8 Gy to the optic chiasm and below 14 Gy to the brain stem. One of the 14 patients had previous conventional radiation therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients are alive and with out evidence of recurrent disease 6-86 months after treatment. Only two patients required retreatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although craniopharyngioma is a benign tumor, its location makes even advanced microsurgical techniques difficult to perform. Radiosurgery obviates the shortcomings of surgical resection near the hypothalamic-pituitary axis without the morbidity of open surgery.
authors.affiliation: Miami Neuroscience Center, Coral Gables, Florida 33143, USA. bamendola@internationalradonc.com
authors.forename: Beatriz E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Amendola
authors.forename: Aizik
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Sammie R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Coy
authors.forename: Marco A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Amendola
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003397:Craniopharyngioma / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies