Comparative genomic hybridization analysis of pediatric adamantinomatous craniopharyngiomas and a review of the literature.

OBJECT: The purpose of this study was to examine chromosomal gains and losses in 11 pediatric adamantinomatous craniopharyngiomas by using comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), as well as to review the cytogenetic literature that has contributed to the characterization of these tumors. One source of confusion in the cytogenetic and CGH literature concerning craniopharyngioma is that the authors of most studies fail to distinguish between pediatric and later-onset forms of the disease. Thus, this study was focused on pediatric craniopharyngioma. METHODS: To determine an overview of the genetic events leading to the development of these tumors, 10 adamantinomatous craniopharyngiomas were analyzed using CGH; none of the tumor specimens demonstrated gains or losses of DNA sequence. CONCLUSIONS: In view of these findings as well as those published in the majority of previous cytogenetic studies of craniopharyngiomas, the authors conclude that the recurrent acquisition of chromosomal imbalances does not play a major role in tumorigenesis and that chromosomal gains and losses are a relatively rare event in primary tumors of pediatric origin.