Papillary craniopharyngioma coexisting with an intratumoral abscess in a pediatric patient: A case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Craniopharyngiomas are benign neoplasms with two histological subtypes: adamantinomatous and papillary. Papillary craniopharyngiomas are rare in children, and those with a pituitary abscess within are even rarer. Herein, we present the case of a 14-year-old boy with a papillary craniopharyngioma and a coexisting intratumoral abscess, who was hospitalized for persistent pyrexia, polyuria, and polydipsia. The absence of calcification on computed tomography, high signal intensity inside the tumor on diffusion-weighted imaging, and clinical findings such as fever, a high inflammatory response, and meningitis, as well as short-term morphological changes on imaging, could aid in diagnosis.