Patients cured from craniopharyngioma or nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenoma (NFMA) suffer similarly from increased daytime somnolence despite normal sleep patterns compared to healthy controls.
OBJECTIVE
Adults patients previously treated for craniopharyngioma have increased general and physical fatigue compared to healthy controls. This could be related to disturbed sleep patterns. The aim of this study was to compare sleepiness and sleep patterns in those patients to healthy controls and to patients treated for nonfunctioning macroadenomas (NFMA) of the pituitary.


METHODS
Case-control study.


METHODS
Sleepiness and sleep patterns were assessed in 27 adult patients [14 men, 8 patients diagnosed at childhood age, mean age of 53 years (range 27-80 year)] after long-term follow-up and compared to 50 healthy controls and 38 age-, gender- and BMI-matched patients with NFMA. We used two validated questionnaires for sleep parameters (Epworth sleepiness score and Münchener Chronotype Questionnaire).


RESULTS
Sleep patterns (onset, sleep timing, duration and rise time) were not statistically different between the three groups. However, daytime sleepiness scores were increased in patients treated for craniopharyngioma compared to healthy controls, but not different from patients with NFMA. Thirty-three percent of patients with craniopharyngiomas had ESS scores above 10 compared to 8% of healthy controls (P = 0.005), indicating severe daytime hypersomnolence. Neither type of surgery, previous radiotherapy, or age at diagnosis influenced the sleepiness scores in patients with craniopharyngioma.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients treated for craniopharyngioma or NFMA have increased daytime somnolence despite normal sleep patterns, compared to healthy subjects. The results indicate that increased daytime somnolence is a general consequence of large tumours, and/or their treatment, in the hypothalamic/pituitary region, rather than a specific feature of craniopharyngiomas per se.
van der Klaauw
Agatha A
AA
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. a.a.van_der_klaauw@lumc.nl
Biermasz
Nienke R
NR
Pereira
Alberto M
AM
van Kralingen
Klaas W
KW
Dekkers
Olaf M
OM
Rabe
Klaus F
KF
Smit
Johannes W A
JW
Romijn
Johannes A
JA
D000236:Adenoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000628:therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D003397:Craniopharyngioma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000628:therapy; D006970:Disorders of Excessive Somnolence / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000628:therapy; D015995:Prevalence; D012107:Research Design; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires