The infundibulo-tuberal syndrome caused by craniopharyngiomas: clinicopathological evidence from an historical French cohort (1705–1973)

Purpose Infundibulo-tuberal syndrome groups endocrine, metabolic and behavioral disturbances caused by lesions involving the upper neurohypophysis (median eminence) and adjacent basal hypothalamus (tuber cinereum). It was originally described by Henri Claude and Jean Lhermitte in 1917, in a patient with a craniopharyngioma. This study investigates the clinical, pathological and surgical evidence verifying the infundibulo-tuberal syndrome caused by craniopharyngiomas (CPs). Methods A systematic retrospective review of craniopharyngiomas reported in French literature between 1705 and 1973 was conducted. A total of 128 well described reports providing a comprehensive clinical and pathological description of the tumors were selected. This series represents the historical French cohort of CPs reported in the pre-CT/MRI era. Results Three major syndromes caused by CPs were categorized: pituitary syndrome (35 %), infundibulo-tuberal syndrome (52 %) and hypothalamic syndrome (49 %). CP topography was significantly related to the type of syndrome described ( p