Risk-benefit analysis of surgical treatment strategies for cystic craniopharyngioma in children and adolescents

ObjectiveTreatment strategies for craniopharyngiomas are still under debate particularly for the young population. We here present tumor control and functional outcome data after surgical treatment focusing on stereotactic and microsurgical procedures for cystic craniopharyngiomas in children and ad...

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Main Authors: Michael Schmutzer-Sondergeld, Stefanie Quach, Sebastian Niedermeyer, Nico Teske, Moritz Ueberschaer, Christian Schichor, Mathias Kunz, Niklas Thon
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2024-01-01
Series:Frontiers in Oncology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2024.1274705/full
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author Michael Schmutzer-Sondergeld
Stefanie Quach
Sebastian Niedermeyer
Nico Teske
Moritz Ueberschaer
Christian Schichor
Mathias Kunz
Niklas Thon
author_facet Michael Schmutzer-Sondergeld
Stefanie Quach
Sebastian Niedermeyer
Nico Teske
Moritz Ueberschaer
Christian Schichor
Mathias Kunz
Niklas Thon
author_sort Michael Schmutzer-Sondergeld
collection DOAJ
description ObjectiveTreatment strategies for craniopharyngiomas are still under debate particularly for the young population. We here present tumor control and functional outcome data after surgical treatment focusing on stereotactic and microsurgical procedures for cystic craniopharyngiomas in children and adolescents.MethodsFrom our prospective institutional database, we identified all consecutive patients less than 18 years of age who were surgically treated for newly-diagnosed cystic craniopharyngioma between, 2000 and, 2022. Treatment decisions in favor of stereotactic treatment (STX) or microsurgery were made interdisciplinary. STX included aspiration and/or implantation of an internal shunt catheter for permanent cyst drainage. Microsurgery aimed for safe maximal tumor resections. Study endpoints were time to tumor recurrence (TTR) and functional outcome including ophthalmological/perimetric, endocrinological, and body-mass index (BMI) data.Results29 patients (median age 9.9 yrs, range 4-18 years) were analyzed. According to our interdisciplinary tumor board recommendation, 9 patients underwent stereotactic treatment, 10 patients microsurgical resection, and 10 patients the combination of both. Significant volume reduction was particularly achieved in the stereotactic (p=0.0019) and combined subgroups (p<0.001). Improvement of preoperative visual deficits was always achieved independent of the applied treatment modality. Microsurgery and the combinational treatment were associated with higher rates of postoperative endocrinological dysfunction (p<0.0001) including hypothalamic obesity (median BMI increase from 17.9kg/m2 to 24.1kg/m2, p=0.019). Median follow-up for all patients was 93.9 months (range 3.2-321.5 months). Recurrent tumors were seen in 48.3% and particularly concerned patients after initial combination of surgery and STX (p=0.004). In here, TTR was 35.1 ± 46.9 months. Additional radiation therapy was found indicated in 4 patients to achieve long-lasting tumor control.ConclusionIn children and adolescents suffering from predominantly cystic craniopharyngiomas, stereotactic and microsurgical procedures can improve clinical symptoms at low procedural risk. Microsurgery, however, bears a higher risk of postoperative endocrine dysfunction. A risk-adapted surgical treatment concept may have to be applied repeatedly in order to achieve long-term tumor control even without additional irradiation.
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spelling doaj.art-a074af4daff44aa09d4dcb058e74a9fd2024-01-16T04:25:00ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Oncology2234-943X2024-01-011410.3389/fonc.2024.12747051274705Risk-benefit analysis of surgical treatment strategies for cystic craniopharyngioma in children and adolescentsMichael Schmutzer-SondergeldStefanie QuachSebastian NiedermeyerNico TeskeMoritz UeberschaerChristian SchichorMathias KunzNiklas ThonObjectiveTreatment strategies for craniopharyngiomas are still under debate particularly for the young population. We here present tumor control and functional outcome data after surgical treatment focusing on stereotactic and microsurgical procedures for cystic craniopharyngiomas in children and adolescents.MethodsFrom our prospective institutional database, we identified all consecutive patients less than 18 years of age who were surgically treated for newly-diagnosed cystic craniopharyngioma between, 2000 and, 2022. Treatment decisions in favor of stereotactic treatment (STX) or microsurgery were made interdisciplinary. STX included aspiration and/or implantation of an internal shunt catheter for permanent cyst drainage. Microsurgery aimed for safe maximal tumor resections. Study endpoints were time to tumor recurrence (TTR) and functional outcome including ophthalmological/perimetric, endocrinological, and body-mass index (BMI) data.Results29 patients (median age 9.9 yrs, range 4-18 years) were analyzed. According to our interdisciplinary tumor board recommendation, 9 patients underwent stereotactic treatment, 10 patients microsurgical resection, and 10 patients the combination of both. Significant volume reduction was particularly achieved in the stereotactic (p=0.0019) and combined subgroups (p<0.001). Improvement of preoperative visual deficits was always achieved independent of the applied treatment modality. Microsurgery and the combinational treatment were associated with higher rates of postoperative endocrinological dysfunction (p<0.0001) including hypothalamic obesity (median BMI increase from 17.9kg/m2 to 24.1kg/m2, p=0.019). Median follow-up for all patients was 93.9 months (range 3.2-321.5 months). Recurrent tumors were seen in 48.3% and particularly concerned patients after initial combination of surgery and STX (p=0.004). In here, TTR was 35.1 ± 46.9 months. Additional radiation therapy was found indicated in 4 patients to achieve long-lasting tumor control.ConclusionIn children and adolescents suffering from predominantly cystic craniopharyngiomas, stereotactic and microsurgical procedures can improve clinical symptoms at low procedural risk. Microsurgery, however, bears a higher risk of postoperative endocrine dysfunction. A risk-adapted surgical treatment concept may have to be applied repeatedly in order to achieve long-term tumor control even without additional irradiation.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2024.1274705/fullcraniopharyngiomastereotaxycyst drainagemicrosurgeryendocrinological outcomevisual outcome
spellingShingle Michael Schmutzer-Sondergeld
Stefanie Quach
Sebastian Niedermeyer
Nico Teske
Moritz Ueberschaer
Christian Schichor
Mathias Kunz
Niklas Thon
Risk-benefit analysis of surgical treatment strategies for cystic craniopharyngioma in children and adolescents
Frontiers in Oncology
craniopharyngioma
stereotaxy
cyst drainage
microsurgery
endocrinological outcome
visual outcome
title Risk-benefit analysis of surgical treatment strategies for cystic craniopharyngioma in children and adolescents
title_full Risk-benefit analysis of surgical treatment strategies for cystic craniopharyngioma in children and adolescents
title_fullStr Risk-benefit analysis of surgical treatment strategies for cystic craniopharyngioma in children and adolescents
title_full_unstemmed Risk-benefit analysis of surgical treatment strategies for cystic craniopharyngioma in children and adolescents
title_short Risk-benefit analysis of surgical treatment strategies for cystic craniopharyngioma in children and adolescents
title_sort risk benefit analysis of surgical treatment strategies for cystic craniopharyngioma in children and adolescents
topic craniopharyngioma
stereotaxy
cyst drainage
microsurgery
endocrinological outcome
visual outcome
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2024.1274705/full
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