Intrachiasmatic craniopharyngioma: a rare cause of chiasmal thickening. Case report.

The authors describe the case of a young man who presented with a central scotoma in one eye and a temporal hemianopsia in the other. Magnetic resonance imaging showed distinctive bilobed thickening of the chiasm and a "potbelly" expansion of the contiguous optic nerves. The distal portions of the intracranial optic nerves appeared normal. At craniotomy, incision of the lamina terminalis exposed intraventricular craniopharyngioma with anterior extension into the chiasm and proximal optic nerves. Partial resection of the tumor restored normal vision.