INTRAVENTRICULAR CRANIOPHARYNGIOMA - A LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP OF 6 CASES

Intraventricular craniopharyngiomas are rare rumours. They are wholly within the third ventricle and can be distinguished from suprasellar l esions which extend into the third ventricle by the presence of an int act floor of the third ventricle. They are attached to the wall of the third ventricle to a variable extent, most commonly in the region of the tuber cinereum. The long-term follow-up on six cases treated by on e of the authors is presented. Headache and visual disturbance were th e most common presenting features but, unlike the more common suprasel lar lesions, symptomatic endocrine disturbances were not a common pres enting feature. Total surgical removal can cause hypothalamic damage a nd the resulting morbidity can be serious and sometimes life-threateni ng. Subtotal removal followed by radiotherapy is probably the treatmen t of choice for these lesions.