Single nostril transsphenoidal approach in treatment of pituitary adenoma under neuroendoscopy: a clinical analysis

Abstract

Objective To investigate the efficacy of single nostril transsphenoidal approach in treatment of pituitary adenoma under neuroendoscopy. Methods A total of 120 patients with pituitary adenoma, who were hospitalized in our department between September 2012 to September 2015, were included in the study, and randomly divided into the sphenoid sinus group and the conventional treatment group (n=60 each). The conventional treatment group received conventional transcranial resection. The sphenoid sinus group was given resection via single nostril transsphenoidal approach under neuroendoscopy. Before and at 3 months after the operation, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to examine the levels of serum prolactin (PRL) , growth hormone (GH) , and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in the two groups. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, time to ambulation, length of hospital stay, and postoperative complications were recorded. Results The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, time to ambulation, and length of hospital stay in the sphenoid sinus group were significantly less than those in the conventional treatment group (all P 0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications in the sphenoid sinus group and conventional treatment group was 8.3% (5/60) and 21.7% (13/60) , respectively. The incidence of postoperative complications in the sphenoid sinus group was significantly lower than that in the conventionaltreatment group (χ2=4.183, P<0.05) . Conclusion Single nostril transsphenoidal approach in the treatment of pituitary adenoma under neuroendoscopy is effective, which can effectively reduce postoperative complications and improve pituitary function. Key words: Neuroendoscopes; Pituitary neoplasms; Treatment outcome; Complications