Clinically relevant pituitary adenomas: a single-center epidemiological study

Pituitary adenomas (PAs) are a heterogeneous group of central nervous system lesions that are mostly benign. They account for 13.5%-20% of all primary brain tumors, and their incidence is rising.

We retrospectively analyzed patients with PA to determine their specific epidemiological characteristics, focusing specifically on a series of surgically resected PAs.

We analyzed all patients diagnosed with PA (n = 1111) and hospitalized in the Department of Endocrinology, Poznań, Poland, between 2018 and 2023, with a special focus on clinically relevant PAs qualified for transsphenoidal surgery (n = 194). Medical history, demographic characteristics, tumor features, and diagnostic results were reviewed. The incidence of PAs was defined as a new diagnosis of PA.

We identified 1111 patients with newly diagnosed PA, including 403 men (36.3%), with an annual incidence rate of 4.11/100 000 population. Women were diagnosed at a younger age than men (P <0.001). In the group qualified for surgery (n = 194), the most common diagnosis was nonfunctioning PA (NFPA; 76%). Men were diagnosed with NFPA more often (P = 0.02) and presented with larger tumors (P = 0.005). The patients with NFPA were older at diagnosis (P <0.001). Larger tumors were associated with an increased risk of complications, such as visual field defects, headaches, and hypopituitarism. Although 90% of the patients were diagnosed with multimorbidity and over half with polypharmacy, we did not find any association between comorbidities and the tumor type.

Although most PAs were diagnosed in women, clinically relevant tumors were more frequent in men. Male patients were diagnosed with NFPA significantly more often than women, and their tumors were larger at presentation.