A Nomogram for Preoperatively Predicting the Ki-67 Index of a Pituitary Tumor: A Retrospective Cohort Study

The Ki-67 index is an indicator of proliferation and aggressive behavior in pituitary adenomas (PAs). This study aims to develop and validate a predictive nomogram for forecasting Ki-67 index levels preoperatively in PAs.

A total of 439 patients with PAs underwent PA resection at the Department of Neurosurgery in Jinling Hospital between January 2018 and October 2020; they were enrolled in this retrospective study and were classified randomly into a training cohort (n = 300) and a validation cohort (n = 139). A range of clinical, radiological, and laboratory characteristics were collected. The Ki-67 index was classified into the low Ki-67 index (<3%) and the high Ki-67 index (≥3%). Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm and uni- and multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to identify independent risk factors associated with Ki-67. A nomogram was constructed to visualize these risk factors. The receiver operation characteristic curve and calibration curve were computed to evaluate the predictive performance of the nomogram model.

Age, primary-recurrence subtype, maximum dimension, and prolactin were included in the nomogram model. The areas under the curve (AUCs) of the nomogram model were 0.694 in the training cohort and 0.658 in the validation cohort. A well-fitted calibration curve was also generated for the nomogram model. A subgroup analysis revealed stable predictive performance for the nomogram model. A correlation analysis revealed that age (R = -0.23; p < 0.01), maximum dimension (R = 0.17; p < 0.01), and prolactin (R = 0.16; p < 0.01) were all significantly correlated with the Ki-67 index level.

Age, primary-recurrence subtype, maximum dimension, and prolactin are independent predictors for the Ki-67 index level. The current study provides a novel and feasible nomogram, which can further assist neurosurgeons to develop better, more individualized treatment strategies for patients with PAs by predicting the Ki-67 index level preoperatively.