Gross-total resection of a suprasellar with recurrent cerebellopontine angle region craniopharyngioma by endoscopic far-lateral supracerebellar infratentorial approach: illustrative case

Tao Xie; Xiaobiao Zhang

doi:10.3171/CASE22166

Gross-total resection of a suprasellar with recurrent cerebellopontine angle region craniopharyngioma by endoscopic far-lateral supracerebellar infratentorial approach: illustrative case

J Neurosurg Case Lessons. 2022 Aug 15;4(7):CASE22166. doi: 10.3171/CASE22166. Print 2022 Aug 15.

Authors

Tao Xie^{1

2}, Xiaobiao Zhang^{1

3

2}

Affiliations

¹ 1Department of Neurosurgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
² 3Cancer Center, Shanghai Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
³ 2Digital Medical Research Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; and.

Abstract

Background: Craniopharyngiomas that rarely extend into the posterior fossa are treated with staged operations or combined approaches. The authors reported a patient undergoing gross-total resection of a suprasellar with recurrent cerebellopontine angle (CPA) craniopharyngioma using an endoscopic far-lateral supracerebellar infratentorial approach (EFL-SCITA).

Observations: The patient was a 15-year-old boy who presented with headache and decreased vision that lasted for half a year. He previously received three surgeries related to CPA craniopharyngioma. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging revealed a suprasellar with recurrent CPA craniopharyngioma. Gross-total resection of this suprasellar and CPA tumor was achieved through EFL-SCITA. All symptoms and signs were improved. There were no postsurgical complications except for mild facial paralysis.

Lessons: EFL-SCITA can be used not only for tumors in the posterolateral pontomesencephalon and ptero-clival-tentorial area but also for tumors in the suprasellar region with posterior fossa extension.

Keywords: approach; cerebellopontine angle extension; craniopharyngioma; endoscopic.