Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea in primary treatment of large and giant prolactinomas with dopamine agonists

Abstract

We present a retrospective analysis of 15 patients with macropropactinomas who underwent surgery for cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea developed due to primary therapy with dopamine agonists at the Burdenko Neurosurgical Institute (BNI) in the period between 2005 and 2015. All patients had large and giant tumors (according to the classification adopted at the BNI). When cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea was detected, patients were hospitalized to the BNI for examination, detection of a CSF fistula, reconstruction of a defect, and resection (if possible) of the tumor. In the period between 2005 and 2015, 15 patients (8 males and 7 females) with prolactinomas of a large and giant size at the onset of conservative therapy underwent surgery for cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea at the BNI. All patients underwent transnasal reconstruction of a skull base defect, with 13 out of 15 patients undergoing simultaneous resection of the tumor. After tumor resection, reconstruction was performed using auto-fat, fascia, and glue (in 8 cases). In the remaining cases, apart from auto-fat, fascia, and glue, a mucoperiosteal flap and auto-bone were used. Fourteen patients were followe-up. In 13 cases, there was no relapse of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea after skull base reconstruction. In 1 case, there was a relapse of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea. Conservative treatment of patients with giant prolactinomas should be performed under regular control of ENT doctors and neurosurgeons for timely detection and surgical treatment of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea.