Craniopharyngioma (CP) is a histologically benign tumor with high mortality and morbidity. Although surgical treatment is essential in managing CP, the best surgical approach is debated. A retrospective cohort of 117 patients with adult-onset CP (AOCP) treated between 2018 and 2020 in Beijing Tiantan Hospital was identified and examined. The effects of traditional craniotomy (TC) and endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery (EETS) on the extent of surgical resection, hypothalamic involvement (HI), postoperative endocrine function, and postoperative weight were compared in the cohort. The cohort comprised 43 males and 74 females, divided into the TC (n = 59) and EETS (n = 58) groups. The EETS group possessed a higher rate of gross total resection (GTR) (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 4.08, p = 0.029) and improved HI (aOR = 2.58, p = 0.041) than the TC group. Worse postoperative HI was only observed in the TC group (5 patients). The EETS was associated with fewer adverse hormonal outcomes, including posterior pituitary dysfunction (aOR = 0.386, p = 0.040) and hypopituitarism (aOR = 0.384, p = 0.031). Additionally, multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed that EETS was related to fewer cases of weight gain >5% (aOR = 0.376, p = 0.034), significant weight change (aOR = 0.379, p = 0.022), and postoperative obesity (aOR = 0.259, p = 0.032). Compared to TC, EETS shows advantages in accomplishing GTR, hypothalamus protection, postoperative endocrine function reservation, and postoperative weight control. These data suggest that the EETS deserves more application in managing patients with AOCP.
Keywords: adult-onset craniopharyngioma; endocrine function; endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery; hypothalamic involvement; weight control.