Nonabsorbable intrasellar stent placement for recurrent Rathke cleft cyst: illustrative case.

Publication/Presentation Date

4-12-2021

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Rathke cleft cyst (RCC) has a recurrence rate of 10% to 22%, and preventing recurrence is challenging. For patients who experience persistent recurrence of RCC, placement of steroid-eluting bioabsorbable intrasellar stents has been rarely described. However, recurrences are often delayed, suggesting that dissolvable stents may not be successful long-term. The release of steroids in close proximity to the pituitary gland may also unintentionally influence the hypothalamic-adrenal-pituitary axis.

OBSERVATIONS: The authors present a case of a 66-year-old woman with a persistently recurrent RCC who underwent drainage of her cyst with placement of a nonabsorbable intrasellar stent in the form of a tympanostomy tube. After repeat transsphenoidal drainage of her cyst, a tympanostomy T-tube was placed to stent open the dural aperture. Postoperatively, the patient's condition showed improvement clinically and radiographically.

LESSONS: Placement of an intrasellar stent for recurrent RCC has rarely been described. Steroid-eluting bioabsorbable stents may dissolve before RCC recurrence and may have an unintentional effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The authors present the first case of nonabsorbable stent placement in the form of a tympanostomy tube for recurrence of RCC. Additional studies and longer follow-up are necessary to evaluate the long-term efficacy of both absorbable and nonabsorbable stent placement.

Volume

1

Issue

15

First Page

2117

Last Page

2117

ISSN

2694-1902

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

PubMedID

36046794

Department(s)

Department of Surgery

Document Type

Article

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