[Clinical and biochemical characteristics of patients with pituitary disease]

Descriptive studies in our country of hypophysis diseases are uncommon. Pituitary adenoma are unfrequent, however this pathology represent 10-12% of brain tumors. Pituitary adenomas are derived of adenohypophysis cells, depending of cellular line, clinical and biochemical characteristics are different. The aim of our study was to describe these characteristics in our patients.

We study 58 patients with diagnosis of pituitary tumor, with regular follow-up in our Hospital, between 1999-2001. The next data were recorded: epidemiological, clinical and biochemical data.

Average age at diagnosis was 36.4 years (DS 16.34 years), with a 70.61% of females. The most frequent tumor was prolactinoma and non-functioning adenomas, amenorrhea was the most frequent symptom with the specialist physician (15%) and the general practice physician was the first step in diagnosis protocol. Cerebral image technique was realized in 54 patients, with a 15.5% of normal exploration and 78.6% with lesions, with 24.14% of microadenoma and macroadenoma. Invasive lesions (craniopharyngiomas, germinomas and invasive adenomas) representing a 6.9%. Depression, hypertension and diabetes mellitus were the most frequent diseases in these patients.

Prolactinoma is the most frequent hypophysis pathology. Amenorrhea and/or galactorrhea are the most common symptom. Response to medical and surgical treatment was excellent in prolactinomas.