[Prognostic factors in the surgical management of acromegaly]

To determine the prognostic factors of surgical cure of growth hormone secreting pituitary adenomas, we have studied 48 patients operated between 1982 and 1992. We compared the features of the cured group (n = 18) with the non cured group (n = 30). We found that the factors of poor prognostic were: young age, growth hormone level before surgery over 50 ng/ml, invasive adenomas, monohormonal status in immunocytochemistry, and lack of decrease in postoperative growth hormone level during the glucose tolerance test.