Serial Re-Expansion of Pituitary Gland Is Associated with Endocrinologic Recovery

Minimizing pituitary dysfunction by preservation of the normal pituitary gland has a significant clinical impact on patient outcome after pituitary surgery. This study aimed to determine whether re-expansion of the healthy gland after surgery was related to endocrinologic outcome.

From January 2012 to July 2014, 112 patients were eligible for this retrospective study. Magnetic resonance imaging with dynamic contrast enhancement done2 days and 3 months before and after surgery was evaluated to assess the tumor and normal pituitary gland. We assessed the size of the pituitary gland and evaluated the relationship with endocrinologic outcome.

The mean preoperative size of the gland was 3.86 mm, within 2 days after surgery it was 5.50 mm and 3 months after surgery it was 7.17 mm. Preoperatively patients were grouped based on their requirement of hormone replacement. Patients who required hormone replacement therapy before surgery and did not recover from hormonal insufficiency were classified as group 1 (26 patients), those who recovered from preoperative hormonal insufficiency and discontinued hormone replacement after surgery were classified as group 2 (17 patients), and those who showed hormonally normal status and did not need hormone replacement before and after surgery were in group 3 (68 patients). In group 1, the size of the gland expanded 1.24 times within postoperative 2 days but had no increase after 3 months (1.25 mm) (P = 0.716). Group 2 showed a 1.30 times larger gland within postoperative 2 days and 2.37 times at 3 months follow-up (P = 0.001). Group 3 showed 1.62 times larger gland at postoperative day 2 and 2.1 times larger at the 3-month follow-up.

Serial re-expansion of the healthy pituitary gland at the 3-month follow-up magnetic resonance imaging can predict the endocrinologic recovery.