Stereotactic radiation therapy for craniopharyngioma

  Craniopharyngioma is a common intracranial congenital tumor that originates from the residual epithelial cells of the craniopharyngeal duct in the primitive oral ectodermal lineage and accounts for 2.5%-4% of all brain tumors. It is a common intracranial congenital tumor. Half of them develop in children. Most of the tumors are cystic or partially cystic. The capsule contains a large number of cholesterol crystals.  Preferred site: suprasellar, may develop to hypothalamus, parsaddle, intersaddle, third ventricle, frontal base, interpeduncular pool, pontocerebellar horn, etc.  Clinical manifestations: 1. visual acuity and visual field disorders; 2. endocrine disorders developmental delay, easy to burn out, loss of appetite, pallor, sexual organ dysplasia, menopause, lactation, abnormal body temperature, consciousness and sleep disorders, urinary collapse, obesity, mental disorders; 3. headache, vomiting and other hydrocephalus, cranial hypertension symptoms 4. local neurological dysfunction (tumor site related).  Imaging examinations: 1. CT shows ring-shaped (eggshell Young) calcification; 2. MRI shows suprasellar occupancy.  Treatment: 1. craniotomy; 2. stereotactic cystic fluid aspiration + 32P internal radiation + gamma knife radiation therapy.  Stereotactic surgery typical case picture illustrates that the high signal shown by red arrow (white) is the tumor before surgery; after surgery, the low signal shown is the operative cavity (black) and the tumor disappears.