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Comparison of Pituitary Adenomas in Elderly and Younger Adults: Clinical Characteristics, Surgical Outcomes, and Prognosis
Author(s) -
Liu Junfeng,
Li Chaoxi,
Xiao Qungen,
Gan Chao,
Chen Xi,
Sun Wei,
Li Xiaopeng,
Xu Yu,
Chen Juan,
Shu Kai,
Lei Ting
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/jgs.13590
Subject(s) - medicine , hypopituitarism , incidence (geometry) , diabetes insipidus , transsphenoidal surgery , retrospective cohort study , pituitary adenoma , cohort , surgery , pituitary neoplasm , pediatrics , adenoma , pituitary gland , hormone , physics , optics
Objectives To analyze and summarize the clinical characteristics, surgical outcomes, and prognosis of elderly adults with pituitary adenomas ( PA s). Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Tongji Hospital. Participants Individuals who underwent transsphenoidal surgery for PA s between 2009 and 2012 (N = 1,104). Measurements Participants were divided into two age groups (≥65 and <65), and their clinical characteristics, surgical complications, surgical outcomes, and follow‐up data were analyzed and compared. Results The older group had longer duration of symptoms. The most common symptom were mass effects (98.4%) in the older group and hormone‐secreting effects (55.2%) in the younger group. The incidence of pituitary apoplexy ( P = .03), incidentaloma ( P = .03) and misdiagnosis at first visit ( P < .001) were higher in the older group. Nonfunctioning PA s ( P < .001) and giant adenomas ( P = .04) were more common in the elderly group than in the younger group. There were no significant differences in the incidence of postoperative diabetes insipidus, cerebrospinal fluid ( CSF ) leak, regrowth, visual outcome, or permanent hypopituitarism between the groups ( P > .05). The incidence of severe systemic complications was greater in the older group (3/69 vs 3/1,035, relative risk = 15.00, 95% confidence interval = 3.08–72.94, P = .004), and all three cases in the older group occurred after emergency surgery. The incidence of hypopituitarism before surgery and 3 days after surgery was higher in the elderly group ( P < .05). Older participants tended to have more difficulty recovering from preoperative hypopituitarism ( P = .02). Conclusion Avoiding misdiagnosis and emergency surgery is critical for frail elderly adults with multiple comorbidities. With early active management, sufficient preoperative preparation, and multidisciplinary collaboration, the long‐term outcomes and prognosis of elderly adults with PA s are comparable with those of younger adults.