clinical features
Last reviewed 01/2018
The clinical features of craniopharyngioma depend on the site and size of the tumour.
Features usually appear insidiously and include:
- visual disturbance - due to compression of the optic nerve and/or chiasma - bitemporal inferior quadrantinopia progressing to bitemporal hemianopia; optic atrophy
- mild to severe dementia - due to frontal expansion
- hypothalamic pituitary dysfunction - panhypopituitarism, diabetes insipidus
- rarely, hydrocephalus due to obstruction of CSF outflow at the third ventricle - headache, papilloedema and visual impairment