The Combination of Dopamine Agonist Treatment and Surgery May Be the Best Option in Challenging Prolactinoma Cases: A Single-Centre Experience

Abstract

To investigate the initial and long-term remission rates, factors related to remission, secondary treatments, and outcomes for patients with prolactinoma who underwent endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery (ETSS). The medical files of the 45 prolactinoma patients who underwent ETSS between 2015 and 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Relevant demographic and clinical data were obtained. Twenty-one (46.7%) patients were female. The median age of patients at ETSS was 35 (interquartile range, 22.5-50) years. The median clinical follow-up of patients was 28 (interquartile range 12-44) months. The initial surgical remission rate was 60%. Recurrence was detected in 7 patients (25.9%). Postoperative dopamine agonists were used in 25 patients, radiosurgery in 2, and second ETSS in 4 patients. After these secondary treatments, the long-term biochemical remission rate was 91.1%. The factors associated with failure in surgical remission are: male gender, older age, higher tumor size, advanced Knosp and Hardy stage, and elevated prolactin level at diagnosis. A prolactin level of <19ng/mL in the first postoperative week predicted surgical remission with a sensitivity of 77.8% and a specificity of 70.6% in patients who received preoperative dopamine agonist treatment. In macro adenomas and/or giant adenomas with cavernous sinus invasion, and significant suprasellar extension, which constitutes the difficult part of prolactinoma treatment, neither surgery nor medical treatment alone may be effective enough. Both treatment modalities should be carried out together by a team of neurosurgery and endocrinology in the management of these patients.