Bipartite craniopharyngeal canal with a lipoma and cephalocele: a previously unreported entity

A 13-year-old male child was evaluated for headache and visual deterioration; he underwent routine MRI imaging which revealed a large craniopharyngeal canal, divided by an abnormal bony septum giving a bipartite appearance of the canal, with a lipomaand cephalocele on either side of the septum. The child had undergone a previous surgery for cleft palaterepair at the age of 7. The child had normal pituitary function inspite of nonvisualization of pituitary glandin MRI. To best our knowledge, this is the first case with such a variation. We have also discussed the possible embryologicalhypothesis for this previously unreported entity. Knowledge about this rare variant might have surgical relevance in selected cases.