Endoscopic endonasal pituitary surgery: Surgical and outcome analysis of 50 cases

Abstract Objective Microsurgical transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary tumors has been standard therapy for decades and was established by Harvey Cushing in the early twentieth century. Today, endoscopy is increasingly accepted in the therapy of pituitary lesions. In this retrospective study, we ana...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of clinical neuroscience 2007-05, Vol.14 (5), p.410-415
Main Authors: Charalampaki, Patra, Reisch, Robert, Ayad, Ali, Conrad, Jens, Welschehold, Stefan, Perneczky, Axel, Wüster, Christian
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Endonasal transsphenoidal approach
Endoscopy
Endoscopy - methods
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods
Male
Middle Aged
Neurology
Pituitary Neoplasms - pathology
Pituitary Neoplasms - surgery
Pituitary surgery
Retrospective Studies
Sphenoid Bone - surgery
Sphenoid Sinus - surgery
Treatment Outcome
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Summary:Abstract Objective Microsurgical transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary tumors has been standard therapy for decades and was established by Harvey Cushing in the early twentieth century. Today, endoscopy is increasingly accepted in the therapy of pituitary lesions. In this retrospective study, we analysed the surgical technique and outcome of 50 patients with pituitary lesions treated with an endoscopic endonasal trans-sphenoidal approach. Methods Between January 2004 and July 2005, 50 patients (30 female and 20 male) with pituitary tumors were operated upon using an endoscopic endonasal trans-sphenoidal procedure without nasal speculum or postoperative nasal packing. The follow-up period ranged from 3 to 18 months. Results All patients had normal airways through both nostrils immediately after extubation. Postoperative discomfort was minimal and hospitalization was 4–5 days. Three patients developed postoperative transient diabetes insipidus, persisting in one for a further 2 months. Among the 50 patients, total tumor removal was achieved in 47 patients (94%), subtotal in two patients (4%). One patient died intraoperatively due to subarachnoid haemorrhage. Conclusion The endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach for removing pituitary lesions is a form of minimally invasive surgery offering excellent postoperative results.
ISSN:0967-5868
1532-2653
DOI:10.1016/j.jocn.2006.02.014