Medicina Fluminensis, Vol. 47 No. 2, 2011.
Review article
Epidemiology of pituitary tumors
Živko Gnjidić
; Clinics for neurosurgery, CHC Sisters of mercy, Zagreb
Darko Stipić
; Clinics for neurosurgery, CHC Sisters of mercy, Zagreb
Abstract
According to numerous studies pituitary adenomas are very common neoplasms
with prolactinomas as the most frequent. Contemporary epidemiological studies show that
pituitary adenomas are 3 to 5 times more common than previously thought. The diagnosis
of pituitary adenomas has become more simple and accurate with development and availability
of modern neuroradiological methods as well as reliable measurement of hormone
concentration in patient plasma. Today we frequently encounter pituitary adenomas which
were found by coincidence in completely asymptomatic patients who have no laboratory or
neurological abnormalities. These tumors are called incidentalomas.
Pituitary adenomas are most frequently diagnosed among young women in their reproductive
age. In men and older people they are less sommon and are usually recognized in advanced
stages as nonfunctional adenomas or macroprolactinomas with neurological abnormalities
as major clinical features. Childhood pituitary adenomas are also rare and can occur
as inherited pituitary adenomas. Atypical invasive adenomas occur in 15 % of pituitary macroadenomas
and malignant alteration is extremely rare. Although the price of treatment is
very high, knowing epidemiological data enables better planning of resources in the health
system and decreases the unnecessary morbidity and costs of treatment.
Keywords
epidemiology; pituitary adenomas
Hrčak ID:
70137
URI
Publication date:
1.6.2011.
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