Craniopharyngioma
Craniopharyngioma is a type of low grade (benign) brain tumour. It can affect people of all ages but is most common in children and young adults.
Craniopharyngiomas grow near the pituitary gland. So, they can affect the bodily functions that this gland controls, like vision and growth.
On this page:
- What is a craniopharyngioma?
- What are the symptoms of craniopharyngioma?
- Craniopharyngioma diagnosis
- How are craniopharyngiomas treated?
What is a craniopharyngioma?
Craniopharyngiomas are low grade brain tumours. This means they aren’t considered to be cancerous and don’t often spread. But, they can create health and wellbeing problems because of where they form.
These tumours are found at the base of the brain close to the pituitary gland. This gland controls certain body functions like growth, sexual development, metabolism, stress response, and making breast milk.
Craniopharyngiomas are common in children. They’re most often diagnosed between the ages of 5-15. But, they affect adults as well.
What are the symptoms of craniopharyngioma?
Craniopharyngiomas tend to form in the lower part of the brain, and close to the pituitary gland. Because of this, they can cause problems with the way the pituitary gland works.
With that in mind, here are some possible symptoms:
- Vision problems
- Growth problems in children
- A buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain (hydrocephalus)
- Diabetes
- Personality changes or mood swings
- Headaches
- Excessive thirst
- Nausea or vomiting
- Difficulty balancing
Craniopharyngioma symptoms vary from person to person. So, it’s difficult to say exactly what symptoms you or your child will have if diagnosed with one.
Craniopharyngioma diagnosis
If a craniopharyngioma is affecting your child’s or your pituitary gland, it may cause a hormone imbalance. If this is the case, your doctor might do blood and urine tests to check for this.
If your doctor suspects a craniopharyngioma, they might send you or your child for a brain scan. This could be an MRI or a CT scan. These scans create detailed images of the brain, which help to confirm a brain tumour.
Your doctor might also recommend a biopsy. During this, a little piece of the tumour will be taken out for testing in a laboratory. This could happen during an operation to remove the tumour or as a separate operation.
How are craniopharyngiomas treated?
The standard treatment for craniopharyngiomas includes surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible, followed by radiotherapy.
Surgery
During surgery, a neurosurgeon will remove as much of the brain tumour as possible.
But, depending on where the tumour is growing, it might not be possible to remove all of it. This is because the surgeon won’t want to disturb important parts of the brain.
Some craniopharyngiomas contain fluid. And, sometimes these tumours can work their way into the healthy brain tissue around them. In these cases, it’s also difficult for the neurosurgeon to remove all of the tumour.
The neurosurgeon will most likely use a procedure called a craniotomy. This is when the surgeon makes a cut in the scalp and takes out a piece of the skull to be able to operate on the brain. This piece is then put back after the operation.
Possible side-effects of neurosurgery are:
- Nausea from the anaesthesia
- Tiredness
- Headaches from the surgery on the brain
- Spells of dizziness or confusion
- A sore throat or difficulty swallowing
- New symptoms, like changes in personality, speech problems, or epileptic fits
Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy will likely be used after the surgery. This is particularly useful if the surgeon couldn’t remove all of the craniopharyngioma.
Radiotherapy is a type of treatment that uses radiation to target the brain tumour.
A common type of radiotherapy for craniopharyngiomas is stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT). This uses scanners to be able to target the tumour very accurately, using thin beams of low-dose radiation.
Possible side-effects of radiotherapy include:
- Tiredness
- Some hair loss in the targeted area
- Sensitive skin in the targeted area
- Nausea or vomiting
- A loss of appetite
- Slower production of blood cells, called myelosuppression
Hormone replacement
Craniopharyngiomas can affect hormone levels. This could either be because they grow near the pituitary gland, which controls certain hormones, or as a result of treatment.
Because of this, your child’s or your medical team might prescribe hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This is to try to balance out hormone levels. The specific treatment will depend on your child’s or your needs.
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