Melanotic craniopharyngioma, an unusual variant in a young female.

摘要

A 33-year-old female presented with a history of amenorrhea for the last seven years, headache of one year and diminution of vision since the last six months. There were no seizures or symptoms of endocrine dysfunction. The diminution of vision was more in the left eye. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a sellar, suprasellar lesion with a cystic component measuring 4.7 X 2.8 X 4.2 cm extending up to the anterior part of the third ventricle [Figure 1a]. A pterional craniotomy and decompression of the tumor was done. The sample was sent to an outside hospital for evaluation and a histopathological diagnosis of an adamahtinomatous craniopharyngioma was given without mention of any melanin pigment. The patient presented after eight years with similar complaints. MRI this time revealed a well defined dumbbell shaped sellar, suprasellar mass lesion measuring 3.4 X 3 X 4.9 cm, predominantly cystic with contrast enhancing solid component [Figure 1b], extending inferiorly into the sellar, superiorly into the third ventricle causing mild hydrocephalus and posteriorly into the interpeduncular cistern and left temporal lobe.