CILIATED CRANIOPHARYNGIOMA INDICATES HISTOGENETIC RELATIONSHIP TO RATHKE CLEFT EPITHELIUM

A case of ciliated craniopharyngioma is reported. The patient was a 36 -year-old man who suffered from visual disturbance, and he was reveale d to have a tumor in the suprasellar region by CT scan. At operation, the tumor was a solid mass accompanied by multiple small cysts. Histol ogically, the tumor consisted of papillary type of craniopharyngioma i n which foci of ciliated columnar epithelial cells were observed. Elec tron microscopy revealed ciliated epithelium with scattered goblet cel ls. This uncommon type of craniopharyngioma seems to offer a clue to u nderstand the histogenesis of craniopharyngioma.