Pituitary adenomas in children and young adults

Pituitary adenomas are rare in the pediatric population. We present a recent cohort of children operated transsphenoidally on pituitary adenoma from a single center.

Inclusion criteria were age < 21 years and histopathological diagnosis of adenoma after transsphenoidal surgery. The electronic file was used for prospective and retrospective data collection on symptoms, pituitary function before/after surgical intervention, and surgical complications. Surgical reports were used for assessment of resection grade. Follow-up data were collected from outpatient clinical visit and/or correspondence concerning pituitary function and MRI.

Among 962 consecutive patients who underwent transsphenoidal surgery at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (Germany) between April 2013–December 2016, 50 patients (5.2%) were 21 years old or younger (range 6–21 years, mean 16.5). Twenty-five (50%) patients had pituitary adenomas; M:F = 13:12. Eight were macroadenomas (> 1cm³). Time from onset of symptoms to first operation had a range of 0–48 months (mean 18.5 months). Nine (36%) patients overall complained of headaches preoperatively. One patient had objective (hemianopsia) and four subjective visual disturbances preoperatively. Histopathological diagnosis revealed 13 (52%) ACTH adenomas, 5 (20%) prolactinomas, 3 (12%) mixed GH-prolactinoma, 1 (4%) GH adenoma, 2 (8%) TSH-producing adenomas, and 1 (4%) non-functioning adenoma. There were no surgical complications. On clinical follow-up (range 1–34.5 months, mean 11.7 months), 21/24 (88%) patients with hormonally active tumors were in biochemical remission by surgery alone; 2 patients with Cushing disease and 1 with GH-hypersecretion required further treatment.

Our recent series confirms the effectiveness and safety of transsphenoidal surgery, especially in the pediatric patient population.