The craniopharyngioma.

The craniopharyngioma is one of the most common destructive lesions of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. It still remains one of the most difficult tumors to treat effectively since complete resection is often impossible and is associated with frequent recurrence. Current therapy is multimodal and focuses on a combination of surgical decompression, medical treatment, as well as stereotactic radiosurgery. This chapter reviews the embryology, neuroanatomy, current treatment strategies, clinical features and the several surgical approaches to its treatment.