Abstract
Craniopharyngiomas comprise 2.5% of adult and 7% of childhood intracranial neoplasms. They arise from remnants of squamous epithelium in Rathke’s pouch, usually within the tuber cinereum and pituitary infundibulum [18], and extend into the sellar-suprasellar region. Rarely, these tumors extend into the frontal (2%–5%), posterior (1%–4%), or middle cranial fossae (2%) [15]. Approximately 60% of craniopharyngiomas are exclusively cystic; 9% are predominantly cystic with a smaller solid part; 15% are equally cystic and solid; and 16% are solid [17]. Because of papillary extensions and reactive gliosis, both cystic and solid craniopharyngiomas adhere closely to the surrounding brain tissue [7, 23]. This feature makes radical operative removal hazardous or even impossible, especially in larger tumors (those with diameters exceeding 3 cm) [20].
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© 1988 Martinus Nijhoff Publishing, Boston
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Sturm, V. et al. (1988). Intracavitary Irradiation of Cystic Craniopharyngiomas. In: Lunsford, L.D. (eds) Modern Stereotactic Neurosurgery. Topics in neurological surgery, vol 1. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1081-5_17
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1081-5_17
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