Intrinsic Third Ventricular Papillary Craniopharyngioma: A Report of Five Cases and Literature Review

BACKGROUND: Craniopharyngiomas are common lesions that occur in the suprasellar region; however, strictly intrinsic third ventricular craniopharyngiomas are rare. CASE SERIES: We aimed to describe the magnetic resonance imaging features observed in five cases of strictly intrinsic third ventricular papillary craniopharyngiomas, including two cases of mixed cystic and solid tumors and three cases of pure solid masses. CONCLUSION: Among the adult population, intrinsic third ventricular papillary craniopharyngiomas should be considered when either solid or mixed cystic and solid masses are observed, in which the solid component shows heterogeneous intensity, heterogeneous and strong enhancement, and is strictly located in the third ventricle.