[Clinical results of LINAC-based stereotactic radiosurgery for pituitary adenoma].
OBJECTIVE
We retrospectively evaluated our clinical results of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for pituitary adenoma.


METHODS
Between 1995 and 2000, 13 patients were treated with SRS for pituitary adenoma. In all cases, the tumors had already been surgically resected. The adenomas were functional in 5 and non-functional in 8 patients. The median follow-up period was 30 months. SRS was performed with the use of a dedicated stereotactic 10-MV linear accelerator (LINAC). The median dose to the tumor margin was 15 Gy. The dose to the optic apparatus was limited to less than 8 Gy.


RESULTS
MR images of 12 patients revealed tumor CR in one case and PR in 9 cases; in the remaining two patients, tumor size decreased by less than 50%. There was no recognizable regrowth of any of the tumors. In two of four GH-secreting adenomas, hormonal overproduction normalized, while the other two showed reduced hormonal production. One PRL-secreting adenoma did not respond. Reduction of visual acuity and field was seen in one patient. This patient also had a brain infarction. None of the patients developed brain radionecrosis or radiation-induced hypopituitarism.


CONCLUSIONS
Although further studies based on greater numbers of cases and longer follow-up periods are needed, our results suggest that SRS seems to be a safe, effective treatment for pituitary adenoma.
Muramatsu
Julia
J
Department of Radiology, Fukui Medical University School of Medicine.
Yoshida
Masanori
M
Shioura
Hiroki
H
Kawamura
Yasutaka
Y
Ito
Harumi
H
Takeuchi
Hiroaki
H
Kubota
Toshihiko
T
Maruyama
Ichiro
I
D000236:Adenoma / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome