Anaesthetic Management of Children with Craniopharyngioma
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Conference Proceeding Anaesthetic management of children with craniopharyngioma Srilata Moningi Abstract The perioperative management of craniopharyngioma in children is quite challenging not only to the neurosurgeons and anaesthesiologists but also to the oncologists, endocrinologists and intensivists. The various concerns include size of the tumour and its effects on intracranial pressure, vicinity of the tumour to nearby vessels and neural structures, endocrine disturbances, compressive symptoms, paediatric age, obesity‑related problems, high recurrence rate of the tumour, undesired effects of radiotherapy, high morbidity and mortality. As anaesthesiologists, we deal with most of the challenges. The success of the outcome depends on the proper identification of the patient, pre‑operative optimisation, surgical decision, awareness of the complications, timely intervention and optimal post‑operative care. Key words: Anaesthesia, children, craniopharyngioma, perioperative INTRODUCTION HISTORY Craniopharyngiomas are rare and benign epithelial tumours Craniopharyngiomas were first identified by Zenker in emanating along the path of craniopharyngeal duct.[1] 1857. Later, histological origin of these tumours from It is the most common suprasellar intracranial non-glial hypophyseal duct or Rathke’s pouch was first postulated type of tumour seen in children. The management of by Mott and Barrett in 1899 and later the same was craniopharyngioma is quite challenging and involves a team confirmed by Erdheim in 1904. The widely used term effort for effective planning, execution of the treatment and “craniopharyngioma” for these tumours was introduced post-operative (PO) care.[2] The anaesthetic management by Cushing in 1932. requires a clear understanding of the endocrinological disturbances, surgical extent of the lesion, presence INCIDENCE AND PREVALENCE of hypothalamic involvement, increased intracranial pressure (ICP) and urgency of treatment. The 10-year The incidence of these tumours varies from 0.13 to 2 survival rate following gross total resection of these tumours per l lakh population per year, with a point prevalence is around 86%–100% (95%), so a good perioperative care is of approximately 1–3 per 1 lakh population.[3] There an important component for the overall outcome. is no predilection to race or gender. The age of presentation is bimodal, children 5–14 years and elderly Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Nizam’s 65–74 years of age.[4] They represent about 2%–6% of all Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, Telangana, India paediatric primary intracranial tumours and around 50% of all sellar/parasellar tumours. Congenital Address for correspondence: craniopharyngioma has been described in the literature. Dr. Srilata Moningi, Flat No. G‑3, Sujatha Sterling Homes, H. It was diagnosed in the antenatal period and later was No. 8‑2‑403/A, Road No 4, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad ‑ 500 082, [5] Telangana, India. radically excised after birth. E‑mail: [email protected] This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Access this article online Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License, which allows Quick Response Code: others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as the Website: author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms. www.jnaccjournal.org For reprints contact: [email protected] DOI: How to cite this article: Moningi S. Anaesthetic management of 10.4103/2348-0548.199946 children with craniopharyngioma. J Neuroanaesthesiol Crit Care 2017;4:S30-7. © 2017 Journal of Neuroanaesthesiology and Critical Care S30 | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow | Moningi: Craniopharyngioma and anaesthesia CLASSIFICATION BASED ON AETIOLOGY CLINICAL PRESENTATION Based on the embryology and histology, they are The clinical presentation and its severity vary depending commonly classified into two types:[6] on the size and site of the tumour and its growth 1. Adamantinomatous tumours: (a) They arise from potential.[3,9,10] Usually, a time gap of 1–2 years is seen the epithelial remnants of the Rathke’s pouch or before the diagnosis is established because of its sluggish the craniopharyngeal duct, (b) the location of the growth. The clinical presentations include [Table 1] as tumour is explained by this embryogenesis, and follows: (c) this is more common in children. The incidence 1. Symptoms of raised intracranial tension: It may of recurrence is high and they are locally invasive present with headache, nausea and vomiting tumours.[7] either due to mass effect or due to obstruction of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) outflow pathway at 2. Squamous papillary: (a) These result from the the level of foramen of Monro, third ventricle or metaplasia of squamous epithelial cells at the aqueduct of Sylvius.[11] junction of the pituitary stalk and pars distalis 2. Endocrine disturbances: Short stature is a common and (b) it is more common in adults. finding in children due to growth hormone 3. Transitional or mixed types. deficiency. Others include impotence, amenorrhea, Craniopharyngiomas are avascular tumours, either hypothyroidism, diabetes insipidus (DI) and displace or encase the vessels of circle of Willis, orthostatic hypotension and sometimes with hyperfunctionality such as precocious puberty depending upon the site, growth and invasiveness in children. Obesity and lethargy are common in of the tumour. Sellar tumours may present with children.[11] sellar enlargement due to erosion of the floor of the 3. Another common presentation is due to compression sella. on the adjacent optic nerve pathway leading to According to the location of the tumour, they may be visual disturbances, for example, bitemporal sellar, suprasellar, parasellar, retrosellar and infrasellar hemianopia (inferior chiasmatic compression), or multicompartmental. They are rarely malignant homonymous anopsia, scotoma and optic atrophy [11,12] but have the propensity for local invasion. A recent with papilloedema. classification of craniopharyngiomas was based on Other presenting symptoms are neck stiffness and the site of tumour origin and tumour-meningeal seizures related to chemical meningitis (due to rupture relationship: (a) infrasellar infra-diaphragmatic, of the cysts contents) and decreased functional activity common in children, (b) suprasellar, subarachnoid and behavioural changes (hypothalamic damage due extraventricular; common in adults and rarely seen in to local invasion) in children. Hypothalamic damage children and (c) suprasellar subpial types, seen both and endocrine disturbances are more common in in adults and children.[8] children and ensue before the appearance of visual Table 1: Craniopharyngioma and clinical presentation Clinical presentation according to site of involvement Symptomatology or due to compression of vital structures Neurologic Headache, cranial nerve palsy, motor disorders (hemi- or mono-paresis) Visual pathways Homonymous temporal hemianopia, scotoma, optic atrophy Endocrinological (pituitary) Growth failure, diabetes inspidus, hypogonadism, precocious puberty, SIADH Hypothalamic Aphagia, obesity, poor energy, somnolence, psychiatric symptoms (emotional lability, hallucinations, paranoic delusions), autonomic disturbances Brain parenchyma Cognitive dysfunction, seizures Ventricular system Headaches, nausea and vomiting, papilloedema, decreased consciousness, coma Major blood vessels - SIADH=Syndrome of inappropriate secretion of anti-diuretic hormone Journal of Neuroanaesthesiology and Critical Care | Volume 4 • Supplement 1 • 2017 | S31 Moningi: Craniopharyngioma and anaesthesia symptoms. The incidence of hypothalamic disturbances is more with suprasellar subpial type.[13] Involvement of the thalamus and frontal lobe may present with hyperphagia, psychomotor retardation, short-term memory deficits, emotional immaturity, apathy and incontinence.[14] Other symptoms include growth failure and delayed puberty in young patients. Rarely, these tumours may locally spread to the brainstem and present with signs and symptoms (S and S) of brainstem dysfunction. The incidence of recurrence is too high for these tumours, both in local and meningeal vicinity, which adds to increased morbidity. Multiple recurrences and post-radiotherapy (RT) may present with a malignant [15] change, and this is very rare. Figure 1: Supraorbital keyhole sub-frontal approach for excision of suprasellar cystic craniopharyngioma These patients may actually present to the ophthalmology outpatient department (OPD) or surgical OPD either for visual disturbances or growth abnormalities. PRE‑OPERATIVE CONCERNS 1. History taking: Clinical presentation and TREATMENT neurological assessment guide us to the diagnosis. 2. Endocrine evaluation is done to identify The mainstay of therapeutic management is to cure abnormalities in endocrine function such as the disease with preservation and restoration of the thyroid function tests, growth hormone, cortisol functional activity. levels, sex hormones, adrenocorticotropic hormone 1. Medical management: Hormonal replacement and prolactin.[22] Hypoadrenalism, DI and therapy is instituted for any endocrine abnormalities hypothyroidism have shown to have significant present. morbidity and mortality and should be normalised 2. Surgical approach[16,17] – biopsy, subtotal or total before any elective surgery. In cases of emergency, excision of the tumour. Total excision is attempted both hypoadrenalism and DI should