The present and future management of childhood craniopharyngioma

Abstract

Childhood craniopharyngiomas are rare tumours that present formidable difficulties in their treatment if cure is to be achieved without producing severe hypothalamic damage. Experience with our own cases suggests that the morbidity from an attempted radical removal can be predicted - allowing a treatment algorithm to be devised that combines both surgery (radical and "conservative") and radiotherapy (both external fractionated and intra-cyst instillations) in order to achieve long-term tumour control that is not at the expense of a severe functional disability.