Endoscope-assisted microsurgery for treatment of a suprasellar craniopharyngioma presenting precocious puberty

Being the most common childhood tumor to involve the hypothalamus and pitui tary gland, craniopharyngioma, a histologically benign tumor, is usually re lated to growth retardation and hypogonadism, The presentation of precociou s puberty is very rare for a hypothalamic craniopharyngioma, Here, we repor t such a case. The female patient had presented with symptoms of menarche a nd breast development since she was 6 years old. Hormonal therapy with a go nadotropin-releasing hormone analogue was instituted to cease precocious pu berty but was unsuccessful, Magnetic resonance imaging of the sella showed a l-cm tumor in the hypothalamic area, Through a pterional approach, the tu mor was removed en bloc with endoscope-assisted microsurgery. After the ope ration, our patient's symptoms improved, so the hormone therapy was discont inued, This extremely unique association of craniopharyngioma and precociou s puberty, the causes and mechanisms involved a I on g with the advantages of endoscope-assisted microsurgery are discussed. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Kar ger AG. Basel.