Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-18T01:12:43.666Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Surgical Management of Giant Pituitary Adenomas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2015

Gérard Mohr
Affiliation:
divisions of Neurosurgery and Endocrinology, Notre-Dame Hospital, University of Montreal, Montreal
Jules Hardy*
Affiliation:
divisions of Neurosurgery and Endocrinology, Notre-Dame Hospital, University of Montreal, Montreal
Ronald Comtois
Affiliation:
divisions of Neurosurgery and Endocrinology, Notre-Dame Hospital, University of Montreal, Montreal
Hughes Beauregard
Affiliation:
divisions of Neurosurgery and Endocrinology, Notre-Dame Hospital, University of Montreal, Montreal
*
service de Neurochirurgie, Hôpital Notre-Dame, 1560 est rue Sherbrooke, Montréal, Québec, Canada H2L 1M4
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract:

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

During the past 25 years, 77 giant pituitary adenomas have been treated surgically, including suprasellar extensions of type C in 66 cases and of type D in 11 cases. Non-secreting adenomas were present in 53 and secreting adenomas in 24 cases. All patients except 3 presented with significant visual field defects; including bitemporal hemianopia, superior quadranopia or unilateral temporal hemianopia, contralateral blindness in 73% of the cases, and one case with sudden bilateral blindness due to acute pituitary apoplexy. A single transsphenoidal procedure was carried out in 74% of the patients while 11 patients (7%) required re-operations for recurrent or residual tumor. Only 3 patients required a subsequent transcranial procedure. Complications included 1 CSF-leak, 1 empty-sella syndrome and 4 fatal post-operative hematomas. We prefer the transsphenoidal route even in very large or giant pituitary adenomas, since it allows rapid and adequate decompression of the optic nerves and chiasm, avoids major pituitary insufficiency in 60% of the cases and is associated with low morbidity-mortality rates.

Type
Special Supplement - Secreting Pituitary Adenomas
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation 1990

References

REFERENCES

1.Jefferson, G. Extrasellar extension of pituitary adenomas. Proc R Soc Med 1940; 33: 433458.Google ScholarPubMed
2.Jefferson, G. he invasive adenomas of the anterior pituitary. In: The Sherrington Lectures III. Liverpool: University Press of Liverpool 1955: 363.Google Scholar
3.Symon, L, Jakubowski, J, Kendall, B. Surgical treatment of giant pituitary adenomas. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1979; 47: 973982.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Srivastava, VK, Narayanawamy, KS, Vasudevrao, T. Giant pituitary adenomas. Surg Neurol 1983; 20: 379382.Google Scholar
5.Hardy, J. Trassphenoidal microsurgery of the normal and pathologi- cal pituitary. Clin Neurosurg 1969; 16: 185217.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6.Symon, L, Jakubowski, J. Transcranial management of pituitary tumors with suprasellar extension. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1979; 42: 123133.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Fahlbusch, R, Buchfelder, M, Schrell, U. Short-term preoperative treatment of macroprolactinomas by dopamine agonists. J Neurosurg 1987; 67:807815.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Bronsteim, MD, Cardim, CS, Marino, R. Short-term management of macroprolactinomas with a new injectable form of bromocriptine. Surg Neurol 1987; 28: 3137.Google Scholar
9.Ciric, I, Mikhael, M, Stafford, T, et al. Transsphenoidal microsurgery of pituitary macroadenomas with long-term follow-up results. J Neurosurg 1983; 59: 395401.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Nakane, T, Kuwayama, A, Watanabe, M, et al. Transsphenoidal approach to pituitary adenomas with suprasellar extension. Surg Neurol 1981; 5: 225229.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11.Guiot, G. Adénomes hypophysaires. Masson, Paris 1958: 276 pp.Google Scholar
12.Aubourg, PR, Derome, PJ, Peillon, F. Endocrine outcome after transsphenoidal adenomectomy for prolactinoma: prolactin levels and tumor size as predicting factors. Surg Neurol 1980; 14: 141143.Google ScholarPubMed
13.Hardy, J, Vezina, JL. Transsphenoidal neurosurgery of intracranial neoplasms. In: Thompson, RA, Green, JR, eds. Advances in Neurology. New York: Raven Press 1976: 261274.Google Scholar
14.Mohr, G, Hardy, J. Hemorrhage, necrosis and apoplexy in pituitary adenomas. Surg Neurol 1982; 18: 181189.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Shucart, WA. Implications of very high serum prolactin levels associated with pituitary tumors. J Neurosurg 1980; 52: 226228.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.King, LW, Molitch, ME, Gittinger, JW. et al. Cavernous sinus syndrome due to prolactinoma: resolution with bromocriptine. Surg Neurol 1983; 19: 280284.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17Rilliet, B, Mohr, G, Robert, F. et al. Calcifications in pituitary adenomas. Surg Neurol 1981; 15: 249255.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18Carapella, CM, Pompei, P, Mastrostefano, R. et al. Calcified pituitary adenoma associated with severe hyperprolactinemia. J Neurosurg 1983; 59: 871874.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19Barrow, DL, Mizuno, J, Tindali, GT. Management of prolactinomas associated with very high serum prolactin levels. J Neurosurg 1988; 68: 554558.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20Hardy, J, Mohr, G. Le prolactinome, aspects chirurgicaux. Neurochirurgie 1981; 27: 4160.Google Scholar
21Hardy, J, Möhr, G. The pituitary. In: Hardy, JD, ed. Hardy's Textbook of Surgery (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company 1988; 372380.Google Scholar
22Wilson, CB, Neurosurgical management of large and invasive pituitary tumors. In: Tindall, GT, Collins, WF, eds. Clinical management of pituitary disorders. New York: Raven Press 1979; 335342.Google Scholar
23Ray, BS, Patterson, RH Jr.. Surgical experience with chromophoa adenomas of the pituitary gland. J Neurosurg 1971; 34: 726729.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24Fager, CA, Poppen, JL, Takaoka, Y. Indications for and results of surgical treatment of pituitary tumors by intracranial approach. In: Kohler, PO, Ross, GT, eds. Diagnosis and treatment of pituitary tumors. Amsterdam: Excerpta Medica 1973; 146155.Google Scholar
25Wilson, CB, Dempsey, LC. Transsphenoidal microsurgical removal of 250 pituitary adenomas. J Neurosurg 1978; 48: 1322.Google ScholarPubMed
26Melen, O. In: Transsphenoidal microsurgical removal of 250 pituitary adenomas. Pituitary Tumors: Diagnosis and Management. Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics 1987; 16: 585608.Google Scholar
27Laws, ER Jr, Trautmann, JC, Hollenhorst, RW Jr. Transsphenoidal decompression of the optic nerve and chiasm. J Neurosurg 1977; 46: 717722.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
28Möhr, G, Hardy, J, Gauvin, P. Chiasmal apoplexy due to ruptured cavernous hemangioma of the optic chiasm. Surg Neurol 1985; 24: 636640.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
29Hubbard, JL, Scheithauer, BW, Aboud, CF, et al. Prolactin-secreting adenomas: the preoperative response to bromocriptine treatment and surgical outcome. J Neurosurg 1987; 67: 816821.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
30Van't Verlaat, JW, Lancranjan, I, Hendricks, MJ, et al. Primary treatment of macroprolactinomas with Parlodel LAR. In: Van't Verlaat, JW, ed. Secreting pituitary adenomas (Thesis, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands). Tripitt, Rotterdam. 1988; 4555.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
31Loyo, M, Kleriga, E, Mateos, H, et al. Combined suprainfrasellar approach for large pituitary tumors. In: Van't Verlaat, JW, ed. Neurosurgery. 1984; 14: 485488.Google ScholarPubMed