Relationship betweencalcification and ossification in craniopharyngioma

：Objective To investigatethe fine structure of ossification in craniopharyngioma and its relationship withcalcification. Methods The data of 54 patients (31 male and 23 female) withcraniopharyngioma aged from 3 to 66 years, admitted to our hospital and received surgeryfrom May 2004 to March 2006, were analyzed. The samples resected from the patients wereroutinely fixed with 10% formalin and embedded in paraffin. Segments were studied with HEstaining. Pathological examination confirmed that 41 patients had craniopharyngioma thatwas ameloblastoma type and 13 were with craniopharyngioma that was squamous cell type.Microstructure and tissue type of the tumor specimens, and the characteristics ofossification were analyzed; electron microscope was employed to observe the ultrastructureof craniopharyngioma ossification; the surgical and imaging data were also compared; basedon the above results, the relationship between calcification and ossification incraniopharyngioma was analyzed. Results Calcification was found negative in 7 patients,mild result in 11, egg-shell calcification in 11 and severe calcification in 12 inpatients with craniopharyngioma that was ameloblastoma type. Calcification was foundnegative in patients with craniopharyngioma that was squamous cell type. The ossificationswere found in the tumor with egg-shell or severe calcification, but absent in the tumorwith mild or negative calcification. The distribution of ossification was closely relatedto the degree of calcification. Conclusion Calcification is the basement for the formationof ossification, and the ossification makes the tumor cell colonized in the calcification. Key words: Craniopharyngioma;  Ossification, heterotopic;  Calcification; Ultrastructure