title: [History of pituitary surgery in humans and animals: from experiments with dogs to treatment of patients].
abstract: At the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century experimental hypophysectomy was carried out on cats and dogs, by means of the lateral temporal approach, to investigate the physiological role of the pituitary gland because there was a debate as to whether the pituitary gland was essential for life. At the same time pioneering neurosurgeons such as Harvey Cushing used animal experiments to explore the different approaches to the neurocranium and the pituitary, thereby taking the first steps towards neurosurgery in humans. Eventually the transsphenoidal route was chosen for such an operation. Veterinary medicine has benefited from these developments in the medical field. For the past few decades, hypophysectomy has been used for the treatment of pituitary adenomas in dogs and cats that are kept as pets.
authors.affiliation: Universiteit Utrecht, Faculteit der Diergeneeskunde, hoofdafdeling Geneeskunde van Gezelschapsdieren, Postbus 80.154, 3508 TD Utrecht. b.p.meij@vet.uu.nl
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Meij
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D004285:Dogs; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007016:Hypophysectomy / Q000266:history* / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D009426:Netherlands; D009493:Neurosurgery / Q000266:history* / Q000662:veterinary; D010900:Pituitary Diseases / Q000266:history* / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary; D013522:Surgery, Veterinary / Q000266:history