Obesity and metabolic disturbances in adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma patients

An adamantinous craniopharyngioma (CP) is rare benign pituitary tumour often growing invasively and thereby affecting the hypothalamus. The recurrence rate in CP is high and therapy of choice is surgery, followed by cranial radiotherapy (CRT) in about half of the patients. Patients with CP have a 3-19 fold higher cardiovascular mortality in comparison to the general population. The majority of patients have an extended hypopituitarism that needs balanced hormone supplementation. About half of the patient population suffer from hypothalamic damage due to the tumour or operation. These patients suffer from hypothalamic obesity together with increased vascular morbidity and compromised bone health, thirst disorders as well as somnolence and sleep apnea. Cardiovascular risk factors need up front therapy. There is a need for centralising this rare aggressive and difficult tumour to only a few centres and that it will be managed by a multidisciplinary team with experienced neurosurgeons, endocrinologists, neurooncologists, neuroradiologists, and neuroopthamologists for a better prognosis.