Pediatric craniopharyngiomas: classification and treatment according to the degree of hypothalamic involvement.

Object: The current treatment of craniopharyngiomas is evolving into one of a multimodal approach in which the aim is disease control and improved preservation of quality of life (QOL). To date, an appropriate classification system with which to individualize treatment is absent. The objectives of this study were to identify preoperative prognostic factors in patients with craniopharyngiomas and to develop a risk-based treatment algorithm.

Tectal plate lesions in children.

Object: The authors characterized the clinical course of tectal plate lesions in a group of pediatric patients to identify the prognostic factors at presentation that predict progression, in an attempt to differentiate tectal hamartomas from tumors.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of the management of tectal plate lesions in children since the advent of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at the authors' hospital (1984-2003). The lesion volume seen on MR images, the clinical and radiological features at presentation, and the clinical course of the population were analyzed for correlations.