J Korean Med Sci.  2002 Apr;17(2):254-259. 10.3346/jkms.2002.17.2.254.

Outcome of Postoperative Intratumoral Bleomycin Injection for Cystic Craniopharyngioma

• Park DH
• Park JY
• Kim JH
• Chung YG
• Lee HK
• Lee KC
• Suh JK

• KMID: 648686
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2002.17.2.254

Abstract

Total excision is a treatment of choice in preventing the relapse of craniopharyn-gioma, but for tumors involving an extensive area, it is often associated with an increased risk of complications. We have performed a partial or subtotal tumor removal followed by repeated injection of bleomycin into the remaining tumor through a subcutaneous reservoir as postoperative adjuvant therapy. A retro-spective review of clinical, radiological, and surgical data was performed for 10 patients (5 males and 5 females; age, 3-65 yr; follow-up duration, 12-79 months) with cystic craniopharyngiomas. The measurements of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level at each aspiration were performed. The shrinkage and/or stabiliza-tion of tumor was initially noted in all cases. The recurrence of tumor was seen in 4 cases (40%). The decreased or increased level of LDH was interpreted as tumor shrinkage or recurrence, respectively. The transient toxic reactions were observed in 3 patients (30%). Our study demonstrates that postoperative bleo-mycin injection for cystic craniopharyngioma, although does not appear to eradi-cate the tumor, decreases and stabilizes the tumor size, when used as an adju-vant therapy in young patients.

Keyword

Craniopharyngioma; Bleomycin; Cysts; Lactate Dehydrogenase

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Antibiotics, Antineoplastic/administration & dosage/adverse effects/*therapeutic use
Bleomycin/administration & dosage/adverse effects/*therapeutic use
Brain/radiation effects
Child
Child, Preschool
Craniopharyngioma/*drug therapy/radiography/surgery
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Injections
L-Lactate Dehydrogenase/metabolism
Male
Middle Aged
Pituitary Neoplasms/*drug therapy/radiography/surgery
*Postoperative Care
Retrospective Studies
Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods