A systematic review of long-term outcomes (>10-year follow-up) of paediatric craniopharyngioma.

purposeAdamantinomatous craniopharyngiomas (ACP) in children are rare benign tumours. Relatively few publications have addressed the long-term impact of this tumour and its treatment. We undertake a systemic review of the existing literature aiming to define the outcome of ACP beyond 10 years' follow-up.

methodsOvid MEDLINE, Embase and Google Scholar were used to search the literature. The search criteria were children (aged under 18 at diagnosis), any intervention for and outcomes of ACP. Publications with less than 10 years' follow-up and single case reports were excluded.

resultsTwenty-one studies were included reporting on 1152 children, with a mean age of 8.8 years at diagnosis. Mean follow-up was 14 years. The most common presenting symptom was headache. The mean overall survival at 5, 10, 15 and 20 years post-diagnosis was 91.6%, 84.4%, 77.5% and 68.0%, respectively. In children undergoing gross total resection only or radiotherapy only, survival was higher than with combined treatments. Seventy-five percent of children had endocrine dysfunction after intervention; the most prevalent was hypothyroidism (81.9%). The prevalence of endocrinopathies was similar across all treatment groups. Lower QoL was reported than the general population, predominantly related to the effects of hypothalamic injury. One in ten patients suffered a late complication related to radiotherapy with vasculopathy being the most prevalent.

conclusionsThe long-term morbidity and mortality for paediatric ACP remain high. The impact from hypothalamic injury cannot be understated and is likely the cause for this finding. As surgical treatment advances, less hypothalamic injury may arise and improved outcomes may follow. Gross total resection, if felt achievable without hypothalamic injury, should form the mainstay of treatment due to the late radiotherapy-related complications that arise.