What is (are) Childhood Craniopharyngioma ?
Key Points
                    - Childhood craniopharyngiomas are benign brain tumors found near the pituitary gland.    - There are no known risk factors for childhood craniopharyngioma.    - Signs of childhood craniopharyngioma include vision changes and slow growth.    - Tests that examine the brain, vision, and hormone levels are used to detect (find) childhood craniopharyngiomas.    - Childhood craniopharyngiomas are diagnosed and may be removed in the same surgery.    - Certain factors affect prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options.
                
                
                    Childhood craniopharyngiomas are benign brain tumors found near the pituitary gland.
                    Childhood craniopharyngiomas are rare tumors usually found near the pituitary gland (a pea-sized organ at the bottom of the brain that controls other glands) and the hypothalamus (a small cone-shaped organ connected to the pituitary gland by nerves).     Craniopharyngiomas are usually part solid mass and part fluid -filled cyst. They are benign (not cancer) and do not spread to other parts of the brain or to other parts of the body. However, they may grow and press on nearby parts of the brain or other areas, including the pituitary gland, the optic chiasm, optic nerves, and fluid-filled spaces in the brain. Craniopharyngiomas may affect many functions of the brain. They may affect hormone making, growth, and vision. Benign brain tumors need treatment.    This summary is about the treatment of primary brain tumors (tumors that begin in the brain). Treatment for metastatic brain tumors, which are tumors formed by cancer cells that begin in other parts of the body and spread to the brain, is not covered in this summary. See the PDQ treatment summary on Childhood Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors Treatment Overview for information about the different types of childhood brain and spinal cord tumors.   Brain tumors can occur in both children and adults; however, treatment for children may be different than treatment for adults. (See the PDQ summary on Adult Central Nervous System Tumors Treatment for more information.)