[Rathke's cleft cyst -a case report (author's transl)].

A 17-year-old male was admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery, Hiroshima University Hospital because of an enlarged sella turcica which had been pointed by the skull x-ray examination performed for the facial contusion of the traffic accident. CT scan revealed an oval shaped area of hyperdensity in the center of the sella without any extrasellar extensions. After contrast administration this area showed almost no increased density. The patient had no neurological abnormalities except for hyposmia and left blindness due to the traffic accident. Endocrinological studies were normal. From these findings non-functioning intrapituitary adenoma was suspected and exploration of the sella through the transsphenoidal route was performed. When the dura mater was opened, about 1.5 microliter of white mucous colloid material was exposed. This material fully occupied the pituitary fossa and the pituitary gland was compressed upward. Histologically the cyst wall was composed of pseudostriated columnar ciliated epithelium and partially squamous metaplasia was seen. These epithelium and colloid material structure were stained by PAS-Alcian blue. The tubular gland-like structure was visible in the posterior lobe adjacent to the cyst wall. The size of Rathke's cleft cyst, its pathogenesis, its findings by CT scan and surgical aspect were discussed.