Management of hypothalamic hamartomas: Progress due to alignment of the stars

Abstract

The February 2011 issue of Neurosurgical Focus is devoted to a discussion of the recent explosion of information regarding the management of a rather rare birth defect that can have devastating effects on children and adults. The actual prevalence of hypothalamic hamartoma (HH) cannot yet be estimated because the clinical presentation of patients is so variable, and until very recently the diagnosis was extremely difficult. Some patients are minimally symptomatic, and it must be presumed that there are many in this group as well as a significant number of asymptomatic patients in whom the diagnosis is not made.