Craniopharyngioma involving supfrasellar region and sphenoid sinus: case report.

Craniopharyngiomas are benign, epithelial, slow-growing neoplasms that generally develop either in the suprasellar region or in both the suprasellar and intrasellar regions. They rarely occurs in the infrasellar region. Based on embryologic development of adenohypophysis, the tumor can arise along the path of the craniopharyngeal duct. We report on an 8- year-old boy who presented to us with headache and anorexia for several weeks during May 1999. Brain MRI revealed a huge sphenoid tumor. The tumor was completely excised by functional endoscopic sinus surgery on 12th August 1999. The postoperative course was smooth and no evidence of tumor recurrence was found on his latest follow-up visit in February, 2000. From the clinical experience with this case, functional endoscopic sinus surgery is an alternative and a less-harmful surgical procedure for this kind of benign sphenoid tumor. Moreover, embryology development, epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic method and treatment of craniopharyngioma are discussed.