Quality of life in treated adult craniopharyngioma patients.
OBJECTIVE
Quality of life (QoL) has become increasingly important in the evaluation of treatment of pituitary and hormonal diseases. A reduced QoL has been reported in childhood-onset craniopharyngioma; however, reports of QoL in adult craniopharyngioma patients are scarce. In the present study, we assessed QoL in adult patients successfully treated for craniopharyngioma in our centre.


METHODS
This was a case-control study.


METHODS
In this study, we assessed QoL in 29 adult patients in remission during long-term follow-up after treatment for craniopharyngioma. Four validated health-related questionnaires (HADS, MFI-20, NHP and SF-36) were used, covering multiple aspects of physical, psychological and social functioning. Patient outcomes were compared to controls (n = 142) and to age-adjusted reference values derived from literature.


RESULTS
General fatigue, physical fatigue, energy, physical condition and physical mobility were significantly impaired, compared with controls. The main independent predictors for decreased QoL were visual field defects (depression, total HADS score, activity, motivation and energy), female gender (depression, motivation and pain), repeat surgery (role limitations due to emotional problems) and radiotherapy (mental fatigue) (the last two predictors to a lesser extent).


CONCLUSIONS
Adult patients treated for craniopharyngioma show persistent impairment in QoL, especially in the physical subscales.
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands.
O M
OM
Dekkers
N R
NR
Biermasz
J W A
JW
Smit
L E
LE
Groot
F
F
Roelfsema
J A
JA
Romijn
A M
AM
Pereira
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003397:Craniopharyngioma / Q000523:psychology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005221:Fatigue; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000150:complications; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D012086:Reoperation; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology