[Neuroendoscope-assisted endonasal-transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary neoplasms].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of curative effect of endonasal transsphenoidal approach for removal of pituitary neoplasms (PNs) assisted by neuroendoscopy.


METHODS
Seventy-eight consecutive PNs patients with sellar mass causing compression of optic nerve and optic chiasm shown by MRI or CT underwent tumor removal via the endonasal transsphenoidal approach with the help of neuroendoscope.


RESULTS
Total removal of tumor in 71 cases (91.0%) and subtotal removal in 5 cases (6.4%) were achieved. Partial removal was carried out in the remaining 2 cases (2.6%) with fibrous tumor. There was no postoperative death. Follow-up with a median of 3 months in 67 patients revealed that preoperative diminished acuity caused by optic nerve compression was recovered in 64 cases (95.5%), and improved in 3 cases (4.5%). Among the 62 patients with preoperative visual field defects, postoperative recovery was achieved in 60 cases (96.8%), and improvement in 2 cases (3.2%).


CONCLUSIONS
Endonasal transsphenoidal approach assisted by neuroendoscopy is an effective minimally invasive method for removing the PNs. Changing the angle of the endoscope intraoperatively helps removing the tumor safely and completely.
Zhang
Xiang
X
Department of Neurosurgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
Zhang
Jian-ning
JN
Fei
Zhou
Z
Cao
Wei-dong
WD
Liu
Wei-ping
WP
Fu
Luo-an
LA
He
Xiao-sheng
XS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007016:Hypophysectomy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D044583:Neuroendoscopy; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome