Analysis on the clinical characteristics of pituitary stalk effect in non-functioning pituitary adenomas
Wang Zihao
Gao Lu
Guo Xiaopeng
Wang Qiang
Lian Wei
Yao Yong
Wang Renzhi
Xing Bing
Abstract：Objective To explore the clinical characteristics of hyperprolactinemia caused by pituitary stalk effect in non-functioning pituitary adenomas.Methods Clinical data of 72 non-functioning pituitary adenomas patients with hyperprolactinemia were analyzed retrospectively and underwent surgery via transsphenoidal approach.Preoperative MRI examination was performed on these patients to measure the length of suprasellar extension (SSE).The endocrine examination was used to detect the changes of prolactin level after the surgery.The relevance between the level of serum prolactin and SSE of tumors was investigated.Results With the prolongation of SSE,the levels of preoperative serum prolactin presented a monopeak curve.The rate of preoperative anterior pituitary hormone deficiency was 18.8％ (6/32) in the group of SSE≤ 10 mm and 72.5％ (29/40) in the group of SSE＞10 mm.There was significant difference between the two groups (P ＜ 0.01).The rate of anterior pituitary hormone deficiency 3 months after surgery was 9.4％ (3/32) in the group of SSE ≤ 10 mm and 25.0％ (10/40) in the group of SSE＞10 mm,which presented a downtrend compared with that before surgery respectively.The level of serum prolactin 3 months after surgery was significant lower than that before surgery (t =22.018,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions The pituitary stalk effect in non-functioning pituitary adenomas is a common phenomenon,which results in hyperprolactinemia but with an upper limit of 150 ng/ml ofprolactin level.The pituitary stalk effect could disappear with the removal of tumors by transsphenoidal surgery.
Keywords：pituitary neoplasmsnon-functioninghyperprolactinemiapituitary stalk effectapproachtranssphenoidal
Publication Date：2017-01-01
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：4( 162-165 )