Türk Nöroşirürji Dergisi 2014 , Vol 24 , Num - Ek
Craniopharyngioma and Endoscopic Endonasal Treatment
Ali Erdem YILDIRIM, Derya KARAOĞLU, Ahmed Deniz BELEN
Ankara Numune Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Nöroşirürji Kliniği, Ankara, Turkey Craniopharyngiomas are benign and rare tumors that develop from squamous epithelium in Rathke’s cleft remnants and are usually located in the sellar/suprasellar region. There are two pathological subtypes as adamantinomatous and solid papillary. They usually cause endocrine dysfunction and visual disorders because of their location. Their proximity to important neurovascular structures and the high recurrence rate continue to pose challenges regarding craniopharyngioma treatment in neurosurgery practice. Endoscopic endonasal surgery (EES) is able to ensure tumor access and a wide infrachiasmatic field with an effective combination of caudocranial and midline approaches and without requiring the manipulation of any vital neurovascular structure, when compared with well-defined transcranial approaches (pterional, subfrontal, presigmoid). Combining this anatomic advantage with high-resolution imaging enables high resection rates, preservation of endocrine function and visual recovery with EES. EES has therefore become an effective and safe treatment option for both pediatric and adult craniopharyngiomas. Anahtar Kelimeler : Craniopharyngioma, Endoscopic endonasal surgery, Suprasellar