Comparative ophthalmologic studies on children and adults with craniopharyngiomas.

The subjects of the study are 74 patients with craniopharyngiomas treated at the Clinic of Neurosurgery, Bulgarian Medical Academy, within the period 1960-1989. Fifty of the patients are children and 24 adults. The diagnosis of all patients is made on the base of clinical, X-ray and histological studies. The ophthalmologic state was studied in all patients, prior to operation, via routine methods. Reduced visual acuity was established in 69.6% of the children and 81.8% of the adults. The presence of congestive optic papilla was diagnosed in 22% of the children and 12.5% of the adults. Optic atrophy was established in 62.5% of the adults and 52% of the children. Various defects in the visual field were established in 67.7% of the children and 81.8% of the adults with the predomination of bitemporal defects. The use of highly informative conventional and modern X-ray methods is recommended in all patients suspected of compression of the visual pathways.