Open AccessAnterior Pituitary Function before and after Trans-sphenoidal Microsurgical Resection of Pituitary Tumors
Author(s) -
C S McLanaham,
James H. Christy,
George T. Tindall
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
neurosurgery/neurosurgery online
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.485
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1081-1281
pISSN - 0148-396X
DOI - 10.1227/00006123-197809000-00002
Subject(s) - medicine , pituitary tumors , surgery , anterior pituitary , pituitary gland , lobe , microsurgery , resection , pathology , hormone
Anterior pituitary lobe function was measured pre- and postoperatively in 40 patients with pituitary tumors who were managed surgically by the trans-sphenoidal approach. Of 23 patients with normal anterior lobe function preoperatively, 21 (91%) were normal postoperatively. Of 17 preoperatively impaired patients, 7 (40%) regained normal function, 3 (18%) improved, 4 (24%) remained the same, and 3 (18%) were further impaired by the surgery. In this small series, the likelihood of recovery of pituitary function varied inversely with the degree of preoperative impairment and the size of the tumor, suggesting that more aggressive surgical management of small, minimally symptomatic pituitary tumors is justified.