Tocilizumab for the fifth progression of cystic childhood craniopharyngioma-a case report

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Oct 11:14:1225734. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1225734. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

We present the case of a 15-year-old girl, with a fifth cystic progression of an adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma after multiple surgeries and previous local radiotherapy. She had severe visual impairment, panhypopituitarism including diabetes insipidus, and several components of hypothalamic damage, including morbid obesity and severe fatigue. To prevent further late effects hampering her quality of survival, she was treated biweekly with intravenous tocilizumab, an anti-interleukin-6 agent, which stabilized the cyst for a prolonged time. Based on the biology of adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma, this immune-modulating treatment seems promising for the treatment of this cystic tumor in order to reduce surgery and delay or omit radiotherapy.

Keywords: adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma; case report; cyst; hypothalamus; tocilizumab; visual impairment.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Craniopharyngioma* / complications
  • Craniopharyngioma* / drug therapy
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hypopituitarism* / pathology
  • Hypothalamus / pathology
  • Pituitary Neoplasms* / complications
  • Pituitary Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Pituitary Neoplasms* / pathology

Substances

  • tocilizumab