Pituitary adenomas are intracranial neuroendocrine tumors that could affect multiple body systems, with high incidence, especially among young and middle-aged adults, which severely deteriorate the life quality of the patients. The goal for treatment of pituitary adenoma is not limited to tumor resection and controlling exceptionally high hormone level. Moreover, several complications like water-electrolyte imbalance, hypopituitarism, abnormal sexual function should also be properly dealt with, so as to further improve the life quality of the patients. Surgery removal of the tumor, as major treatment option, has been constantly optimized and improved. It has become a consensus that normal pituitary tissue should be protected as much as possible when pursuing total tumor resection. As preclinical and clinical studies moving forward, drug therapy, avoiding surgical risks, plays a more and more important role in the treatment of functional pituitary adenomas, which made it the first-line therapy in prolactinomas and GH/ACTH adenomas as well. Stereotactic radiosurgery, represented by Gamma knife surgery, as mainstream adjuvant therapy, has also improved patient outcomes. Therefore, Multidisciplinary cooperation in the treatment of pituitary adenomas should be encouraged to improve the quality of medical care, and to achieve the most effective therapy for better prognosis of the patients.
Adenoma Humans