[Transnasal transsphenoidal approach to pituitary adenomas]

The results of transnasal transsphenoidal surgery of pituitary adenomas were retrospectively analyzed in a group of 42 patients, 22 females and 20 males, aged 19-70, of average age 43 years. Histopathological examination showed null-cell adenomas in 4, growth-cell in 11, prolactin-cell in 3, adrenocorticotropin-cell in 6, plurihormonal adenomas in 6, craniopharingeoma in 1, metastasis of pulmonary carcinoma in 1, pituitary abscess in 1, and normal pituitary tissue in 9 cases, respectively. Out of 30 patients with adenomas, 21 had macro (> 1 cm) and 9 had microadenomas (< 1 cm). Cerebrospinal fluid leakage (8.7%) and meningitis (6.5%) were the most frequent postoperative complications. There was no operative mortality. Full adenoma recurrence (clinical, hormonal, and radiological) was found in 3, clinical and hormonal in 3, hormonal and radiological in 1, and radiological in 2 patients, respectively. The repeated transsphenoidal surgery was performed in 4 patients. The transnasal transsphenoidal approach is the procedure of choice for surgical treatment pituitary adenomas.