What is the pathological pattern of craniopharyngioma?

The pathological pattern of craniopharyngioma is spherical, irregularly shaped, or nodular dilated growth with clear boundaries and significant differences in size, mostly cystic multi-room or partially cystic, a few are substantial and contain only a few small cystic cavities. The cystic part is often above the parenchymal part, the surface of the cyst wall is smooth, the thickness varies, the thin one can be as translucent, there are many grayish white or yellowish brown calcified spots or calcified spots on it, and it can be ossified in the form of eggshell, the content of the cyst is degenerated and liquefied epithelial cell debris (keratin-like material), the cyst fluid is oil-like or golden yellow liquid, containing internal cholesterol crystals, generally 10 The cystic fluid is oil-like or golden yellow in color and contains internal cholesterol crystals, usually 10 -30 ml, or more than 100 ml. The parenchymal part of craniopharyngioma is usually located in the posterior and inferior part, nodular in shape, containing foci of calcification, sometimes dense and hard, often adhering tightly to important intracranial blood vessels, pituitary stalk, optic pathway and anterior part of the third ventricle and compressing the above structures. The tumor may also cause glial reaction zone of brain tissue to form a pseudo envelope, which may sometimes protrude into the lower thalamus in the form of papillae, causing damage to the lower thalamus when the tumor is pulled during surgery. Parenchymal tumors are mostly located in the saddle or the three ventricles and are smaller in size than cystic ones. The histology of craniopharyngioma is divided into two types: enameled epidermal type and squamous epidermal type. The former has a 3-layer structure, with the outermost layer being a layer of cylindrical cuboidal epidermis, the middle layer being a compound layer of polygonal, squamous epidermal-like cells, and the innermost layer being astroglial cells. The latter is composed of well-differentiated squamous epithelial cells and is mostly a substantial tumor. In the pediatric population it is almost always the enameled epidermal type, whereas in the adult population both types account for half of each.