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Medicina (Buenos Aires)
Print version ISSN 0025-7680On-line version ISSN 1669-9106
Abstract
DAMILANO, Roxana A. et al. Clinical and evolutionary characteristics of incidental pituitary adenomas: retrospective multicenter study. Medicina (B. Aires) [online]. 2023, vol.83, n.4, pp.514-521. ISSN 0025-7680.
Introduction
: Pituitary incidentalomas (PIs) are le sions found incidentally in the pituitary on imaging performed for reasons unrelated to pituitary disease.
Methods
: A cross-sectional, retrospective and descrip tive study was carried out with the aim of analyzing the clinical and evolutionary characteristics of a population of patients with PIs in the city of Córdoba.
Results
: A total of 67 patients were included, 67% fe male, with a median age at diagnosis of 44 years. Among the reasons that led to requesting the first image, chron ic or recurrent headache was the most prevalent (34%). The median tumor size was 12 mm. Fifty-eight percent were macroincidentalomas. Men had significantly larger lesions (p = 0.04). At diagnosis, including both sexes, 30% showed extrasellar extension and 45% invasion of the cavernous sinuses. Neuro-ophthalmological compromise was detected in 21%. A positive correlation was found between age at diagnosis and tumor size (r= +0.31, p = 0.001). Ninety-one percent were non-functioning tumors and at presentation, 21% of patients had one or more hormonal deficiencies. Of the total, 26% required surgery. Most of those who continued without treatment showed no change in tumor size at the end of follow-up (median 42 months).
Conclusion
: We highlight the high frequency of mac roincidentalomas in our series, with visual field defects and hypopituitarism being frequent at diagnosis. Al though most non-operated PIs remained stable, there was a high frequency of clinically significant lesions.
Keywords : Pituitary; Incidentalomas; Adenomas; Hypopituitarism; Multicenter study.