Adult craniopharyngiomas: surgical results with a special focus on endocrinological outcomes and recurrence according to pituitary stalk preservation.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of surgical treatment of adult craniopharyngioma with a special focus on the endocrinological outcomes and tumor recurrence in cases of pituitary preservation.


METHODS
Between 1993 and February 2008, 41 patients underwent 47 surgical procedures for craniopharyngioma. The male/female ratio was 26:15 and the median age was 45.8 years (range 17-65 years). The median follow-up period was 10.56 years (range 6.2-14.9 years). Patients presented with visual disturbance before 30 (63.8%) of 47 procedures and with endocrinological disturbance before 12 (26%) procedures. Surgery was performed via a subfrontal/pterional approach in 31 procedures (66%), bifrontal interhemispheric in 6 (12.8%), transcallosal/transventricular in 5 (10.6%), combined in 1 (2.1%), and transsphenoidal in 4 (8.5%). The tumor was totally removed in 36 procedures (76.6%), subtotally in 10 (21.3%), and partially in 1 (2.1%).


RESULTS
Postoperatively, the rates of visual improvement and aggravation were 50 and 33.3%, respectively. Of 24 patients in whom the pituitary stalk was preserved, complete hormone replacement was needed in 14 (58.3%), partial replacement in 2 (8.3%), and no replacement in 8 (33.3%). The rate of tumor recurrence was 24.4%. The recurrence-free survival rate was significantly different between patients in whom complete tumor resection was accomplished and those in whom tumor resection was incomplete. Stalk preservation did not affect the recurrence-free survival rate. The morbidity and mortality rates were 8.5 and 2.1%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The pituitary stalk must be preserved with maximal tumor resection whenever possible to increase the chance of intact anterior pituitary function being maintained. The results of the present study show that pituitary stalk preservation may not be related to increased recurrence rates.
Department of Neurosurgery, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital & Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.
Tae-Young
TY
Jung
Shin
S
Jung
Jae-Eun
JE
Choi
Kyung-Sub
KS
Moon
In-Young
IY
Kim
Sam-Suk
SS
Kang
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003397:Craniopharyngioma / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D010902:Pituitary Gland; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology