Perioperative morbidity associated with operative resection of craniopharyngioma: a review of ten years experience.

A ten-year review of perioperative morbidity after operative resection of craniopharyngioma is presented. From 1974 to 1983, 23 patients underwent a total of 34 operations. Patients were subdivided into 95% or greater resection and partial resection groups. Features compared between the two groups included sodium, glucose, temperature, diabetes insipidus, major complications, neurological deficits and death. Patients undergoing 95% or greater resection had significant fluctuations in sodium, temperature and glucose (p less than .01). Diabetes insipidus and major postoperative complications were also significantly elevated in the 95% or greater resection group (p less than .05). Therefore, the extent of surgical resection correlated well with the degree of metabolic dysfunction and major postoperative complications. Careful assessment of surgical morbidity is warranted in the management of patients with craniopharyngioma.