[An elderly case of craniopharyngioma: treatment by limited surgery and radiation therapy].

Craniopharyngioma accounts for approximately 3.5% of all intracranial neoplasm and may occur at any age. However craniopharyngioma in the elderly was rare. We report a rare case of craniopharyngioma in an elderly patient, who was treated by radical surgery successfully. An 80-year-old male was admitted to our hospital with a history of visual disturbance and bitemporal hemianopsia. CT scan of the brain revealed a hypodense cystic mass with calcification in the suprasellar area. MRI demonstrated the optic chiasm was displaced superiorly. Her symptom deteriorated day short time of her hospitalized life. We decided to removal tumor radically because of saving her visual function. Subtotal removal of the suprasellar lesion was performed, followed by radiotherapy to the residual lesion. A visual impairment was improved after surgery. No recurrences had been detected on MRI eighteen months after the initial operation. Based on previous report and the clinical course of our case, radical surgery is sometimes needed for saving visual function in spite of elderly patient. However, in this case, sparing hypothalamic and pituitary function is essential for good prognosis.