Hypothalamic-pituitary function in patients with craniopharyngiomas.

Hypothalamic-pituitary function was investigated in 20 patients with craniopharyngioma, and all showed some degree of hypopituitarism. Pituitary-adrenal dysfunction was present in 50% of the patients whereas all but one had deficiencies of growth hormone and gonadotropin. Serum thyroxine was low in 13 patients, and in a further six there was an abnormal response of thyrotropin (TSH) to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH). Prolactin levels were normal in over half the patients tested and only moderately elevated in the remainder. Gonadotropins failed to increase adequately after gonadotropin-releasing hormone (LRH) in all but one patient, and the response gave no indication of the predominantly hypothalamic site of the tumors.