Ectopic recurrence craniopharyngioma: series report and literature review

Background Craniopharyngioma is a common intracranial tumor located in the sellar-suprasellar region. Due to the involvement of adjacent structures, it can lead to increased intracranial pressure, visual impairment, and endocrine deficiencies. Surgical resection is the primary treatment, but it is a tough challenge to achieve total resection, which will led to the frequency of recurrences and progressions. Among them, distant spread is extremely rare, but important complication, identifying and providing proper therapy, is crucial. Methods We report two cases of ectopic recurrence craniopharyngioma and make a literature review for the published similar case reports. Results Our literature review revealed 63 cases (including our patient). The onset age in children group and adult group ranges from 2–14 years old (6.70 ± 3.33) to 17–73 years old (40.63 ± 15.58), while the interval year between tumor initiation and ectopic recurrence ranges from 0.17–20 (7.28 ± 6.76) years to 0.3–34 (6.85 ± 7.29). Achieving gross total resection seems not to prevent the ectopic recurrence. The major pathology of ectopic recurrence craniopharyngioma is adamantinomatous type. The most common site of ectopic recurrence is frontal lobe. According to the pathogenesis, 35 cases were seeding along the surgical approach, and 28 cases were seeding via the CSF pathway. Conclusion Ectopic recurrence craniopharyngioma is rare, but it can lead to serious symptoms. Delicate surgical procedure can help to reduce the risk of ectopic recurrence, and standardized follow-up can provide valuable information for treatment.