title: Endoscopic Endonasal Transsphenoidal Surgery, A Reliable Method for Treating Primary and Recurrent/Residual Craniopharyngiomas: Nine Years of Experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Craniopharyngioma resection is one of the most challenging surgical procedures. Herein, we describe our extended endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery (EETS) technique, and the results of 9 years of use on primary and recurrent/residual craniopharyngiomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study reviewed 28 EETSs in 25 patients with craniopharyngiomas between January 2006 and September 2015. The patients were divided into 2 groups, newly diagnosed patients (group A, n = 15), and patients having residual or recurrent tumors (group B, n = 10). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of the largest tumor diameter (P = 0.495), and all patients underwent EETS. The clinical and ophthalmologic examinations, imaging studies, endocrinologic studies, and operative findings for these cases were reviewed retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of gross total resections in group A was 13/15, and 7/10 in group B. Three of the patients developed postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leakage (all in group A). There were no neurovascular or ophthalmologic complications, and no meningitis or mortality was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There has been a notable increase in the use of EETS in the treatment of craniopharyngiomas during the last decade. Despite its increased use in the treatment of primary craniopharyngiomas, its implementation for recurrent or residual craniopharyngiomas has been viewed with suspicion. In this study, the results have been presented separately for primary and recurrent/residual craniopharyngiomas, so that the results can be compared. Overall, EETS is a reliable and successful surgical treatment method for primary and recurrent/residual craniopharyngiomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Yıldırım Beyazıt University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. Electronic address: drercanbal@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ercan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bal
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kamil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Öge
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berker
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003397:Craniopharyngioma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D044583:Neuroendoscopy / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013100:Sphenoid Bone / Q000601:surgery; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Craniopharyngioma; Endocrinology; Endoscopic technique; Ophthalmology; Primary; Recurrent; Residual