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Case History

22-year-old man with visual field deficit. Suprasellar mass resected which showed nuclear expression of beta-catenin. 

 

  1.        Anaplastic meningioma, WHO grade III
  2.        Adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma
  3.        Erosive basosquamous carcinoma
  4.        Pilomatrix carcinoma
Jan 10 photo 1 case of the week    Jan 10 photo 2 case of the week

Answer: B: Adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma

Adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma, a WHO grade I neoplasm arising from Rathke pouch remnants, typically occurs in the suprasellar cistern near the base of brain and has cystic components, wet keratin, and numerous microcalcifications. Nuclear beta-catenin staining is a surrogate biomarker for the CTNNB1 gene mutation that occurs in adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma.
Case contributed by:  Kenneth Fallon, M.D., Associate Professor, Anatomic Pathology