Nasopharyngeal craniopharyngioma. Case report and literature review.

Craniopharyngioma is an intracranial tumor that occurs rarely in the infrasellar region. Eight patients with craniopharyngioma located within the nasopharynx have been reported previously. These cases originated in the nasopharynx and involved the sella turcica (6), the sphenoid sinus (1), and the vomer (1). Craniopharyngioma usually originates intracranially. When there is no evidence of sellar involvement, the tumor most likely arises along the path of the craniopharyngeal duct. According to the neurosurgical literature, the optimal treatment consists of total surgical excision. Incomplete tumor removal is supplemented by adjunctive radiotherapy, which has been shown to significantly increase the survival rate. A patient with craniopharyngioma of the nasopharynx and paranasal sinuses who presented with nasal obstruction is reported. Radiographic studies were employed for tumor evaluation, and biopsy was done to establish the histopathologic diagnosis. Treatment included a combination of surgical excision and irradiation.