Prevalence of pituitary hormone dysfunction following radiotherapy for sinonasal and nasopharyngeal malignancies

There are limited studies and no surveillance protocols on pituitary dysfunction for adults who underwent anterior skull base radiation.

Cross-sectional study of 50 consecutive patients with sinonasal or nasopharyngeal cancer who underwent definitive radiotherapy. The mean radiation doses, prevalence of pituitary dysfunction, and associated factors were calculated.

Pituitary hormone levels were abnormal in 23 (46%) patients, including 6 (12%) with symptomatic abnormalities requiring treatment. The most common hormonal abnormality was hyperprolactinemia (30%), central hypothyroidism (8%) and central hypogonadism (6%). Patients with abnormal pituitary hormone values received higher mean radiation doses to the pituitary gland (1143 cGy, P = 0.04), pituitary stalk (1129 cGy, P = 0.02), optic chiasm (1094 cGy, P = 0.01), and hypothalamus (900 cGy, P = 0.01).

Nearly half of the patients had abnormal pituitary function, including over a tenth requiring treatment. There may be a dose-dependent association between hormonal dysfunction and radiation.