Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Pituitary Adenomas
Introduction Pituitary adenomas are very common lesions and represent between 10% and 20% of all primary brain tumors. Autopsy and imaging studies have demonstrated that nearly 20% of the general…
Transsphenoidal Surgery for Prolactinomas
Introduction Prolactin-secreting adenomas or prolactinomas constitute the largest group of pituitary adenomas in an autopsy series. They are responsible for approximately 27% of pituitary tumors. In the advent of medical…
Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Pituitary Surgery: Results and Complications
Introduction The transsphenoidal route is a direct and rapid extracerebral approach to the sellar region and therefore it is the most widely used technique for the processes involving this area….
Surgical Anatomy of the Sellar Region
The Sellar Region The pituitary gland and sella are located below the center of the brain in the center of the skull base ( Figure 10-1 ). Access to the…
Radiotherapy for Pituitary Tumors
Introduction Radiotherapy has been successfully used for many decades to control tumor growth and hormonal hypersecretion of pituitary adenomas. Although initially used as a primary treatment for these neoplasms, in…
Pituitary Carcinoma
Introduction Primary pituitary carcinomas are rare tumors defined as primary adenohypophyseal neoplasms that have undergone cerebrospinal or systemic metastasis. They constitute 0.1% to 0.2% of all pituitary tumors and their…
The Role of Transsphenoidal Surgery in the Management of Complex Lesions Involving the Skull Base
Introduction Since the repopularization of the transsphenoidal approach by Guiot and Hardy, most surgeons have adopted this technique as the primary method for the removal of pituitary adenomas. Following the…
Transsphenoidal Surgery for Cushing’s Disease: Pitfalls, Results, and Long-Term Follow-up
Introduction Cushing’s syndrome is an endocrinopathy, resulting in distinctive clinical features and associated systemic changes. Cushing’s disease is the name given to the disorder when it is caused by a…
Closure Methods
Introduction Since the first attempts to remove pituitary tumors through the transsphenoidal approach almost a century ago, it became clear that one of the main challenges was to create an…
Transsphenoidal Surgery for Acromegaly
Introduction Acromegaly is a medical condition defined by elevated serum growth hormone (GH) levels almost always secondary to hypersecretion by cells of the anterior pituitary. Descriptions of individuals consistent with…
