Intracranial removal of pituitary adenomas

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Abstract
✓ The effects of varying degrees of completeness of intracranial excision of benign pituitary adenomas among 64 patients operated on by members of the UCLA neurosurgical faculty and resident staff were assessed as to their influence upon tumor recurrences and operative mortality and morbidity. The recurrence “rate” was 9.4%. The operative mortality was 5.9%. There were lower mortality and recurrence rates among those patients treated by radical “total” excision techniques. It is not possible to predict in advance which patient will suffer a recurrence. Recurrence cannot be selectively predicted when tumor is left in place at the time of the first definitive operation. The authors believe that most benign pituitary adenomas can be radically excised and that neurosurgeons should not be content with decompressive procedures or partial removals.