Endocrine Abstracts

Craniopharyngiomas (CPs) are tumours located in the sellar and parasellar region, thought to have an embryonic origin and/or to arise from pituitary progenitors/stem cells. They have an overall incidence of 1–2 new cases/million population/per year and are subdivided into two histologically different subtypes, adamantinomatous (aCPs) and papillary (pCPs). The clinical manifestations at diagnosis for CPs are: headache, visual disturbances, polyuria/polydipsia, endocrine dy...

Patients with craniopharyngioma suffer from excess mortality and morbidity, especially patients with childhood onset of the disease. The impaired outcome in these patients is in part related to hypothalamic obesity, which is mainly caused by hypothalamic damage. The hypothalamic damage seems to result in autonomic nervous system dysfunction as well as leptin and insulin resistance. These factors negatively affect food intake, food satisfaction, metabolism and energy expenditur...

Craniopharyngiomas are paradoxically considered ‘benign’ and hence curable by complete excision. Despite a high survival rate, however, this notion belies a high morbidity and propensity for premature mortality from neuroendocrine disease and treatment complications in those diagnosed in childhood, whose disease differs from that in adulthood. These result from a proximity to, and invasion of, vital ophthalmic, neurometabolic, neurocognitive and neuroendocrine pathwa...