[Aggressive and resistant-to-treatment pituitary tumors]

Pituitary adenomas define slow growing tumors developing from anterior pituitary. Most often benign, their treatment and subsequent management are based on transphenoidal surgery and/or medical therapy, generally without difficulties in clinical practice. However, 2 clinicopathological situations, more or less intricated, may considerably complicate the management of these tumors and the patient health condition. Firstly, when the tumor is characterized by an usual aggressive behaviour with a possible extension within the cavernous sinus and a high risk of recurence after well- conducted treatment. Otherwise, in some cases of resistant prolactinomas and somatotropinomas, the specific medical treatment may be unsuccessful for controlling the hormonal hypersecretion and/or the tumoral growth, with subsequent complex therapeutic approach. Progress that have been made in the understanding of aggressive as well as in resistant- to- treatment pituitary tumors, both in histopathology and molecular fields, may constitue new tools for improving knowledge on the profile of these atypical tumors and optimizing their management.