Treatment of craniopharyngiomas--the stereotactic approach in a ten to twenty-three years' perspective. II. Psychosocial situation and pituitary function.

Fourty-two consecutive patients with craniopharyngioma were treated by "stereotactic approach", i.e. preferentially stereotactic puncture and installation of colloid isotope into cystic tumours and external stereotactic single dose irradiation to solid tumour parts. In a minority of cases, such treatment was less suitable, and surgical removal and/or radiotherapy was used. There was no peroperative mortality. A long-term follow up (observation time 10-23 years) of the 31 patients alive indicated that they were socially well adapted with a high rate of fulltime work and a low rate of intercurrent disease. In spite of substitution therapy for pituitary insufficiency in most cases, the patients were subjectively seldom disturbed by their disease. Our results support a change in the choice of therapy for craniopharyngioma patients, from open neurosurgery to the less invasive stereotactic techniques.