[Medical treatment of pituitary adenoma]

Dopamine agonists are able to restore ovulatory cycles in 80-90% of hyperprolactinemic patients and to reduce tumoral volume (often dramatically) in 80% of macroprolactinomas. Their side-effects will be reduced with the use of parenteral forms or new agonists currently in preparation. Somatostatin analogues administered either subcutaneously by three daily injections (octreotide) or intramusculary with a long-acting formulation every 10-15 days (lanreotide) are able to "normalize" GH levels in 70% of acromegalic patients and to shrink tumor in half of the patients. Side effects are generally minor but an increased incidence of gallstones has been reported. These somatostatin analogs are also very effective in the treatment of TSH-secreting adenomas. Medical treatment of other pituitary adenomas is much more disappointing.