Effect of gamma knife surgery on treatment of craniopharyngiomas

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the adaption,effectiveness,dose,complication of the treatment for cranio pharygiomas with gamma knife surgery.Methods Gamma knife surgery was performed in 41 patients.Patients with mixed solid and cystic tumors were treated with stereotaxic aspiration while six cases were treated with divergence surgery prior to gamma knife therapy.The central dose ranges from 17.1 ～40 Gy(29.6Gy in average).The patients were treated at 30%～50% equal dose curve with 6 ～14Gy of tumormargin dose(9.5Gy in average).The exposure dose of the optic nerve and optic tract is less than 10Gy.Results Of twenty-nine patients who were followed up from 6 to 100 months,sixteen had disappeared or decreased tumor,six had unchanged,two was performed craniotomy one year or three years after gamma knife surgery,and the remaining five were dead one year to three years.The tumor control rate was 75.9%(22/29).Conclusion The treatment of stereotaxic radiation with single and high dose is sensitive to most of the solid craniopharyngioma,and the treatment of stereotaxic resection combined with gamma knife surgery may be feasible for the recurrent mixed solid and cystic craniopharyngioma. Key words: Craniopharygioma; Gamma knife; Cadiosurgery