Abstract
Microsurgical total removal still remains the gold standard in the treatment of primary craniopharyngiomas with the best long-term prognosis. Excellent results have been achieved in particularly skilled and experienced hands [1, 2]. However, the intimate relationship with delicate neurovascular structures, the frequent absence of clear-cut cleavage, and the biologically benign nature of the tumor often suggest a less aggressive attitude [3]. This is particularly true in recurrent cases and in very young or very old patients, who are more prone to devastating intra- and postoperative complications. Only 10 % of craniopharyngiomas are totally solid, while more than half are purely or predominantly cystic [1, 4, 5]. In such cases, control of mass effect, often caused by enlargement of the cystic component, may represent a suitable alternative to resection and several techniques have been proposed [4–10]. In this chapter we are going to describe two techniques for the treatment of cystic craniopharyngiomas:
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Fahlbush R, Honegger J, Paulus W, Huk W, Buchfelder M (1999) Surgical treatment of craniopharyngiomas: experience with 168 patients. J Neurosurg 90:237–250
Yasargil MG, Curcic M, Kis M, Siegenthaler G, Teddy PJ, Roth P (1990) Total removal of craniopharyngiomas. J Neurosurg 73:3–11
Tirakotai W, Hellwig D, Bertalanffy H, Riegel T (2007) The role of neuroendoscopy in the management of solid or solid-cystic intra- and periventricular tumours. Childs Nerv Syst 23(6):653–658
Spaziante R, de Divitiis E (1997) Drainage techniques for cystic craniopharyngiomas. Neurosurg Q 7:183–208
Pettorini BL, Tamburrini G, Massimi L, Caldarelli M, Di Rocco C (2009) Endoscopic transventricular positioning of intracystic catheter for treatment of craniopharyngioma. Technical note. J Neurosurg Pediatr 4(3):245–248
Broggi G, Giorgi C, Franzini A, Servello D, Solero CL (1989) Preliminary results of intracavitary treatment of craniopharyngioma with bleomycin. J Neurosurg Sci 33:145–148
Fox JL (1967) Intermittent drainage of intracranial cyst via the subcutaneous Ommaya reservoir. J Neurosurg 27:272–273
Gutin PH, Klemme WM, Lagger RL, MacKay AR, Pitts LH, Hosobuchi Y (1980) Management of the unresectable cystic craniopharyngioma by aspiration through an Ommaya reservoir drainage system. J Neurosurg 52:36–40
Miles J (1977) Sump drainage: a palliative manoeuvre for the treatment of craniopharyngioma. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 40:120–126
Shapiro B, Fig LM, Gross MD (1999) Intracavitary therapy of craniopharyngiomas. Q J Nucl Med 43:367–374
Abdullah J, Camaert J (1995) Endoscopic management of craniopharyngiomas: a review of 3 cases. Minim Invasive Neurosurg 38:79–84
Nakamizo A, Inamura T, Nishio S, Inoha S, Ishibashi H, Fukui M (2001) Neuroendoscopic treatment of cystic craniopharyngioma in the third ventricle. Minim Invasive Neurosurg 44:85–87
Zona G, Spaziante R (2006) Management of cystic craniopharyngioma in children by a transsphenoidal approach. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab 19(Suppl 1):381–388
Rilliet B, Vernet O, Pica A (2005) The Geneva and Lausanne (French-speaking Switzerland) experience: in favor of the transsphenoidal approach when feasible. Childs Nerv Syst 21(8–9):725–728
Delitala A, Brunori A, Chiappetta F (2004) Purely neuroendoscopic transventricular management of cystic craniopharyngiomas. Childs Nerv Syst 20:858–862
Gordy PG, Peet MM, Kahn EA (1949) The surgery of craniopharyngioma. J Neurosurg 6:503–517
Duff JM, Meyer FB, Ilstrup DM, Laws ER, Schleck CD, Scheitauer BW (2000) Long term outcomes for surgically resected craniopharyngiomas. Neurosurgery 46:291–305
Honegger J, Buchfelder M, Fahlbush R (1999) Surgical treatment of craniopharyngiomas: endocrinological results. J Neurosurg 90:251–257
Carpentieri SC, Waber DP, Scott RM (2001) Memory deficits among children with craniopharyngiomas. Neurosurgery 49:1053–1058
Bunin GR, Surawicz TS, Witman PA, Preston-Martin S, Davis F, Bruner J (1998) The descriptive epidemiology of craniopharyngioma. J Neurosurg 89:547–551
Voges J, Sturm V, Lehrke R, Treuer H, Gauss C, Berthold F (1997) Cystic craniopharyngioma: long term results after intracavitary irradiation with stereotactically applied colloidal B-emitting radioactive sources. Clinical study. Neurosurgery 40:1992–1998
Haisa T, Ueki K, Yoshida S (1994) Toxic effects of bleomycin on the hypothalamus following its administration into a cystic craniopharyngioma. Br J Neurosurg 8:747–750
Savas A, Erdem A, Tun K, Kanpolat Y (2000) Fatal toxic effect of bleomycin on brain tissue after intracystic chemotherapy for craniopharyngioma: case report. Neurosurgery 46:213–217
Takahashi H, Nakazawa S, Shimura T (1985) Evaluation of postoperative intratumoral injection of bleomycin for craniopharyngioma in children. J Neurosurg 62:120–127
Buchfelder M, Schlaffer SM, Lin F, Kleindienst A (2013) Surgery for craniopharyngioma. Pituitary 16:18–25
Ito M, Jamshidi J, Yamanaka K (2001) Does craniopharyngioma metastasize? Case report and review of the literature. Neurosurgery 48:933–936
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Additional information
Some sentences of this chapter are taken from Delitala A, et al. Purely neuroendoscopic transventricular management of cystic craniopharyngiomas. Child’s Nervous System 2004; 20:858–862 with kind permission from Springer Science+Business Media and with authorization of the authors.
1 Electronic Supplementary Material
Video 9.1
Caption (MPG 8126 kb)
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Delitala, A., Spaziante, R., Zona, G., Brunori, A., Marruzzo, D., Melloni, I. (2016). Draining Techniques for Cystic Craniopharyngiomas. In: Cappabianca, P., Cavallo, L., de Divitiis, O., Esposito, F. (eds) Midline Skull Base Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21533-4_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21533-4_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-21532-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-21533-4
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)