An ectopic recurrent craniopharyngioma of the temporal lobe: Case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Ectopic recurrent craniopharyngioma is rare. We present a case of temporal ectopic recurrent tumor after trans-eyebrow supraorbital keyhole approach and provide a literature review with basic statistics.

METHOD: We retrospectively reviewed 57 cases of craniopharyngiomas operated on at our institution. A temporal ectopic recurrent tumor with 10% high expression of Ki-67 proliferation index was identified. The lesion underwent a gross total resection without any complications. Then, we reviewed the related literature and performed a basic statistical analysis.

RESULTS: Sixty-four ectopic recurrent craniopharyngiomas have been reported to date (including this study). The median time until ectopic recurrence was 4.0 years (interquartile range, 2.0∼10.0 years). Of the 64 reported cases, 48 lesions (75%) were adamantinous type, 6 (9%) were papillary type and 10 (16%) were unknown; 34 tumors (53%) were located in the previous surgical tract and 30 (47%) were disseminated along the cerebrospinal fluid pathway; 50 cases (78%) of ectopic tumors achieved total resection without complications.

CONCLUSIONS: Ectopic recurrent craniopharyngioma is a rare phenomenon. Meticulous protection of the entire surgical field and careful handling of the tumor during the operation are required to prevent possible ectopic recurrence. Regular follow-ups are strongly recommended to detect any further recurrences. Gross total resection is the treatment of choice for ectopic recurrence.