Current role of endoscopic endonasal surgery in the management of prolactinomas.

https://doi.org/10.59156/revista.v37i03.498

Abstract

Background: prolactinomas are the most frequent functioning pituitary adenomas and the first treatment option is pharmacological in most of them. Surgery is indicated in patients with resistance or intolerance to Dopaminergic Agonists (DA).

Objectives: to evaluate the clinical, biochemical and imaging characteristics of a group of patients with prolactinomas who required Endonasal Endoscopic Surgery (EES) and to analyze the surgical results.

Methods: the medical records of 17 patients (8 women / 9 men) diagnosed with prolactinoma belonging to two hospitals in the city of Buenos Aires, who underwent surgery in the period from January 2011 and June 2021. The indications for surgery and the surgical results obtained were analyzed, and a review of the literature on the subject was carried out.

Results: The indications for surgery in the 17 patients were: 8 DA resistance, 2 DA intolerance, 2 tumor apoplexy, 2 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistula, 1 cystic adenoma, 1 severe visual impairment, and 1 macroadenoma due to suspected non-functional adenoma (NFA). According to tumor size, they were classified into 16 macroadenomas (Ma), 5 of them > 4 cm or giant (G), and only one patient with microadenoma (Mi) and intolerance to AD. Total resection was obtained in 8, subtotal in 5 and partial in 4 patients. Biochemical remission was obtained in 7 cases (41.2%) with surgery (1 Mi/5 Ma/1Gi) and the remaining 10 (6 Ma/4 Gi) required drug therapy and/or adjuvant radiotherapy (RT), 5 of whom are with active disease. Recent publications support the resurgence of surgical treatment for this subtype of adenomas, especially in microadenomas, mainly due to the improvement of surgical techniques, which showed better postoperative results in relation to biochemical remission and a lower rate of complications.

Conclusion: EESallows a high cure rate in microprolactinomas and in non-invasive macroprolactinomas, and should be considered as a viable and concrete therapeutic option during the multidisciplinary evaluation of these patients.