title: Longitudinal splitting of optic pathways by non-functioning pituitary macroadenoma: report of two cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pituitary macroadenomas with suprasellar extension present tight relationships with optic pathways; only one case of optic nerve penetration by a pituitary adenoma has been reported previously.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report two cases of patients suffering from non-functioning pituitary macroadenomas with intra-operative findings of longitudinal splitting of the optic pathways.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both cases the patients were first operated on by a trans-sphenoidal route and the residual suprasellar tumour was resected by a transcranial surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The patients presented a good visual recovery, suggesting that the splitting of the optic pathways has not jeopardised the functional and anatomical integrity of the optic fibres in the reported cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute University, Milan, Italy. gagliardi.filippo@hsr.it
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gagliardi
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Boari
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Losa
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mortini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003399:Craniotomy; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D009897:Optic Chiasm; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000601:surgery*; D009901:Optic Nerve Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D012086:Reoperation; D058609:Visual Field Tests; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000601:surgery*