Radical excision of craniopharyngioma. Results in 20 patients.

A series is presented of 20 craniopharyngioma patients who were treated between 1977 and 1981. All 20 cases underwent radical tumor resection via a frontotemporal craniotomy, with a concomitant temporal tip resection. All operations were performed by the senior author. The operative mortality rate was 5%, and the major morbidity rate 22.2%. The average follow-up period was 3.1 years. The role of radical surgical extirpation in adults is emphasized: the results compare favorably with the current radiotherapeutic and more conservative surgical statistics.