Conservative management of pituitary macroadenoma contacting the optic apparatus.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the tumor characteristics and visual function in conservatively managed patients with non-functioning pituitary macroadenoma (NFMA) that contacted/compressed the visual pathway.


METHODS
Retrospective case-series.


METHODS
Tertiary-care academic institution.


METHODS
Six patients with diagnosis of NFMA.


RESULTS
Visual function and radiological characteristics of the optic apparatus and pituitary tumor.


RESULTS
All patients had radiological evidence of optic apparatus compression but only one had visual field defect at the initial presentation. While two of the six patients developed visual field changes during followup (41±34.8 months), the patient with visual field defect at the time of diagnosis improved to normal vision.


CONCLUSIONS
Select NFMAs that contact the optic apparatus, without visual dysfunction, may be managed with close ophthalmological and radiographic monitoring, depending on tumor and imaging characteristics. This may be of particular relevance in patients considered to have a high peri-operative risk, such as advanced age or significant co-morbidities.
Shulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
Won Hyung A
WH
Ryu
Samantha
S
Tam
Brian
B
Rotenberg
Mohamed Ahmed
MA
Labib
Donald
D
Lee
David A
DA
Nicolle
Stan
S
Van Uum
Neil
N
Duggal
D000236:Adenoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology