[Endoscopic nasal surgery in sellar tumors]

The advances in endoscopy have improved the approach to the sellar region throught nasal cavity. We studied 20 patients with pituitary adenomas operated on using an endoscope through nasal cavity with transseptal- trassphenoidal approach during the last two years. Average age was 45.6 years, and 75% were females. 30% of the patients had non functioning adenomas, 30% acromegaly, 25% Cushing's disease and 10% prolactinomas. No complications occurred during surgery. The more common complications were diabetes insipidus (two cases) and CSF leak (one case). Two patients needed hormonal treatment because panhypopituitarism. No patients developed septal perforation, nasal deformity, epistaxis, meningitis, lip numbness or oronasal fistula.