Clinical picture of craniopharyngioma in childhood.

This cross sectional and observational study was carried out among the admitted patients of the department of Neurosurgery, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka during the period of 1st March 2004 to 31st March 2005. Among the all intracranial tumours, 2.5-04% are Craniopharyngiomas. Although there is a bi-modal age distribution-1st peak at 5-10 years and the 2nd peak at 55-65 years, the common patients are children (9% of childhood tumour). A typical child with Craniopharyngioma (CP) is short, obese and half blind and has a poor school record. The study has been undertaken to know in details, how child patients with Craniopharyngiomas in Bangladesh present their disease at the hospital. Earlier diagnosis and management may improve the quality of life and longivity. The average age of the patients was 13 years ranging from 07 to 17 years. The vast majority patients were admitted with visual problems as their presenting complaints. Among the patients 33% had total blindness of which 03 had primary optic atrophy and 1 has secondary optic atrophy. Among the remaining 08 patients, 75% were found to have field defect. All patients showed fundal changes ranging from early papilloedema to optic atrophy. We found major endocrinological deficiency in child patients with Craniopharyngioma in 17% cases. Raised Prolactin level may not be significant, because it could be due to stalk effect. Although 25% patients were of short stature, their hormonal profile was within normal range according to age and sex.