Pituitary tumours in adolescence: clinical behaviour and neuroimaging features of seven cases

The clinicopathologic features of seven paediatric patients with pituitary adenomas (2 male, 5 female; mean age 14.3 years) were reviewed. There were three non-functioning adenomas, three prolactinomas, and one growth hormone producing adenoma. Five patients presented with visual field deficits, and six patients had endocrine symptoms, which included menstrual irregularities in all female patients, pubertal delay in two females, and growth delay and gigantism in one case each. On neuroimaging studies, five adenomas showed parasellar extension, while the remaining two prolactinomas were intrasellar microadenomas. While two patients with prolactinomas received good results with bromocriptine treatment alone, the remaining five patients underwent either craniotomy or transsphenoidal surgery. Postoperatively, visual disturbances improved markedly in all patients. Two patients also received replacement hormonal therapy. While six patients have been stable for 3.6 years on average, one non-functioning tumour recurred 2 years after the initial transcranial subtotal resection of the tumour. Although there are still many unknowns concerning the biology and optimal treatments for paediatric pituitary adenomas, many of them are assumed to be relatively rapidly growing tumours, while others merely have an earlier tumour genesis than in adults.