Expanded Endonasal Endoscopic Approach for Resection of an Infrasellar Craniopharyngioma.

BACKGROUND

Craniopharyngiomas are uncommon benign locally aggressive epithelial tumors mostly located in the sellar and suprasellar regions. An infrasellar origin of these tumors is rare.

CASE DESCRIPTION

The authors report a 22-year-old male patient with a purely infrasellar adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma centered in the nasopharynx with extension into the posterior nasal septum, sphenoid sinus, and clivus. Gross total resection was achieved using an expanded endonasal endoscopic transethmoidal, transsphenoidal, transpterygoid, and transclival approach. Follow-up at one year demonstrated no evidence of disease recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Infrasellar craniopharyngioma should be included in the differential diagnosis of sinonasal masses even in the absence of sellar extension. Expanded endonasal endoscopic approaches provide excellent access to and visualization of such lesions and may obviate the need for postoperative radiotherapy when gross total resection is achieved.