Author(s)

James Lubuulwa, Zhuang Miao, Shengwen Liu, Juan Chen, Sheng Wang, Wei Jiang, Kai Shu, Ting Lei^*

Department of Neurosurgery, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.

Objective: This review article attempts to examine and provide an overview of the risk factors associated with craniopharyngioma recurrence. Methods: A literature review of articles relating to the recurrences of craniopharyngioma and the clinical, molecular prognostic indicators of recurrence and treatment outcomes was performed retrospectively. Results: A total of 107 studies which described specific risk factors related to craniopharyngioma recurrence were identified which included but not limited to 54 retrospective case series, 7 systematic reviews, 21 laboratory reports, 13 case reports and 12 literature reviews. Conclusion: Based on the evidence identified in this review, the risk factors for recurrence in craniopharyngioma management are interrelated in a complex way, and surgery with or without adjuvant radiotherapy is reported to be of long-term benefit, but a disparity in findings suggests no definitive consensus on the risk factors of craniopharyngioma recurrence. More high-quality research is needed.

Craniopharyngioma, Recurrence, Risk Factors, Subtotal Resection

Lubuulwa, J. , Miao, Z. , Liu, S. , Chen, J. , Wang, S. , Jiang, W. , Shu, K. and Lei, T. (2019) Clinical, Pathological and Surgical Risk Factors Associated with Craniopharyngioma Recurrence: A Literature Review. Open Journal of Modern Neurosurgery, 9, 61-77. doi: 10.4236/ojmn.2019.91008.