Craniopharyngioma is a rare benign intracranial tumor,and surgical removal is the primary treatment modality.However,due to the deep location of the tumor,its close relationship with the optic nerve,hypothalamic-pituitary axis and essential tissue and vascular structures,and its local invasiveness,treatment still poses numerous challenges.In recent years,there have been advancements in treating craniopharyngioma,including improvements in surgical techniques,equipment,and strategies such as neuroendoscopy,the introduction of novel treatment modalities such as targeted therapies,etc.This paper provides a comprehensive review of these developments.

Craniopharyngioma is a rare benign intracranial tumor,and surgical removal is the primary treatment modality.However,due to the deep location of the tumor,its close relationship with the optic nerve,hypothalamic-pituitary axis and essential tissue and vascular structures,and its local invasiveness,treatment still poses numerous challenges.In recent years,there have been advancements in treating craniopharyngioma,including improvements in surgical techniques,equipment,and strategies such as neuroendoscopy,the introduction of novel treatment modalities such as targeted therapies,etc.This paper provides a comprehensive review of these developments.

Objective:To investigate the surgical approaches and clinical outcomes of endoscopic endonasal approaches (EEA) for trigeminal schwannomas(TSs).Methods:Clinical data, surgical videos and outpatient follow-up notes of 41 patients with TSs and underwent EEA between January 2013 to October 2022 in the Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University were retrospectively studied. The patients were 19 males and 22 females, with an average age of 45.3 (22-63) years old. Twenty-four patients had TSs on the left and 17 on the right. According to Jeong's classification, for 6 TSs with type MP, 2 tumours were resected by trans-Meckel's cave approach (TMCA) alone, and the remaining 4 TSs were resected by combined transclival approach (TCA). For the 4 tumours that involved infratemporal fossa(2 of type E3, 1 of type mE3 and 1 of type Mpe3), the surgery were performed via a trans-prelacrimal recess approach(TPRA), of which the operation for type Mpe3 was combined with a TMCA. The trans-laminal papyracea approach (TLPA) was applied to remove 2 tumours of type E1. The rest of 29 patients received the surgery by TMCA alone to remove tumours including 15 of types M, 10 of type Mp, 1 of type ME2, 2 of type E2 and 1 of type MpE2. Gross total tumour resection was achieved in 40 patients(97.6%), with only 1 patient (2.4%) had a subtotal tumour resection.Results:A total of 40 patients had completed the long-term follow-up, with 1 patient lost in follow-up. The average follow-up period was 34(3-101) months; No tumour recurrence or progression was observed over follow-up. After the surgery, preoperative symptoms were improved in 34 patients(89.5%). The main improved symptoms were: facial numbness(78.9%), facial pain(70.0%), headache(88.2%), mastication weakness (50.0%), poor vision (60.0%), diplopia (83.3%), and abducens nerve palsy (100%). Transient and permanent neurological deficits occurred in 8 (19.5%) and 9 (22.0%) patients, respectively. Cerebrospinal fluid leakage and internal carotid artery injury occurred in 1 patient each.Conclusion:According to the location of a tumour, an appropriate EEA should be selected and satisfactory results can be achieved for all types of tumours, except the TSs that has the main body of the tumour located in the posterior cranial fossa.