Nonfunctioning Pituitary Adenomas Are Really Clinically Nonfunctioning? Clinical and Endocrinological Symptoms and Outcomes with Endoscopic Endonasal Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas are the most common pituitary adenomas in adults and cause significant morbidity unless adequately treated. METHODS: This study retrospectively assessed the medical records of 160 patients operated via pure endonasal endoscopy. The presenting symptoms, results of neurologic and visual examinations, levels of pituitary hormones, results of radiologic examinations, size of the adenoma, rates of resection, results of postoperative visual examination, and pituitary hormone levels at follow-up were recorded to establish the appropriate approach, operative criteria, and outcomes of patients with nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma. RESULTS: Headache was the presenting symptom in 87.5% of the patients. Thirty-three percent had visual loss, and visual examinations on the whole study population revealed a visual field defect in 47.5% of the patients. Only 16.25% of the patients presented with endocrinological symptoms; 52.5% had abnormal anterior pituitary hormone levels. Regarding adenoma size, 56 patients had macroadenoma (35%), 84 (52.5%) had mesoadenoma, and 20 patients had giant adenoma. Gross total resection was achieved in 90% of the patients; subtotal resection was achieved in the remainder. The rate of total resection was lower for giant adenomas and recurrences. Visual symptoms and anterior pituitary hormone levels improved in 27 and 42 patients, respectively, after the operation. CONCLUSIONS: Nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas present frequently as mesoademonas and giant adenomas. Patients with these tumors may have subclinical visual or hormonal deficits at the time of diagnosis. Early and effective surgical treatment is essential for rapid recovery of visual and/or hormonal deficits, particularly in symptomatic cases.

Vena Cava Filters are not Superior to Low Molecular Weight Heparin in Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis: A Study on Long-Term Immobilized Neurosurgical Patients.

AIM: Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) are the most frequent surgical problems and associated with high morbidity and mortality. Neurosurgical patients constitute a unique group where prophylaxis with anticoagulant and antiaggregant agents are relatively contraindicated due to the natural course of vascular problems such as aneurysms, hemorrhagic tumors or hematomas or increased vulnerability to complex spinal surgeries and trauma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included 67 patients predicted to be immobilized for 2 or more months in this retrospective analysis. A vena cava filter was inserted between the first and seventh postoperative day in 40 patients in a prophylactic manner whereas 27 patients received low dose heparin for the same purpose. The patients were evaluated for symptomatic DVT or PE. RESULTS: Percutaneous insertion was performed for all filters without any complication. DVT occurred in two patients of the filter group and 1 patient of the heparin group. There was no PE recorded in any patient of either group. Patients were followed up for 22 months in the filter and 16 months in the heparin group. CONCLUSION: We conclude that prophylactic filter use in high risk neurosurgical patients is not beneficial and not superior to low-molecular-weight heparin use. Nevertheless, it is reasonable to prevent PE in patients with proven DVT who have no contraindication for anticoagulant drugs.

Pure endoscopic endonasal removal of unusual anterior skull base aneursymal bone cyst extending to the frontal lobe.

Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABCs) are benign, nonneoplastic, hemorrhagic, and expansile osseous lesions that present most frequently at age younger than 20 years. Aneurysmal bone cysts typically involve long bones of extremities, thorax, pelvis, or spinal column. Skull base involvement is very rare. The authors report the case of a 23-year-old woman with ABC of the skull base and total removal of lesion with pure endoscopic endonasal approach. The patient had presented with nasal obstruction for 6 months. Physical and neurological examination findings were normal except for bilateral anosmia. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a tumor occupying ethmoid sinuses anterior skull base that extended into bilateral frontal lobes. The patient underwent pure endoscopic endonasal surgery, and the tumor was resected gross-totally. Histologic examination revealed ABC. Consequently, ABC should be considered in differential diagnosis of skull base pathologies. Endoscopic endonasal surgical approach is a safe, minimally invasive, and effective way in the treatment of these tumors.

Endoscopic endonasal removal of a sphenoidal sinus foreign body extending into the intracranial space.

Sphenoidal sinus foreign bodies are very rare entities that are often associated with a cranial and/or orbital trauma. In this paper, a case of a metallic foreign body that pierced the sphenoid sinus and penetrated into the intracranial space due to a work accident is presented. A 29-year-old male was referred to our clinic due to a right orbital penetrating trauma. Skull X-ray and computed tomography (CT) scans demonstrated a foreign body inside the sphenoidal sinus, extending to the left temporal fossa. The foreign body was removed using an endoscopic endonasal technique, and the skull base was reconstructed with a multilayer closure technique. There were no complications during or after the operation. Postoperative result was perfect after three months of follow up.