Endoscopic endonasal transcavernous surgery for a contemporary series of 59 prolactinomas

Abstract

Purpose: To assess surgical outcomes in patients with prolactinomas treated surgically with contemporary endoscopic endonasal techniques within the context of recent advances in transcavernous approaches and shifts towards surgery as a primary treatment option alongside dopamine agonists.

Methods: Surgical outcomes were retrospectively analyzed for 59 consecutive patients with prolactinomas who underwent endoscopic endonasal surgery between October 2018 and December 2024.

Results: The cohort included 42 (71%) patients with macroprolactinomas and 32 (54%) patients with cavernous sinus (CS) invasion, including 14 (24%) with isolated medial wall invasion and 18 (31%) with CS compartment invasion. Median follow-up was 19 months (interquartile range = 10-38). Overall, 82% of patients demonstrated normoprolactinemia within three days of surgery and 80% (74% macroprolactinoma, 94% microprolactinoma) achieved biochemical remission at last follow-up. Adjuvant dopamine agonist treatment and/or radiation increased the long-term remission rate to 86% overall and to 83% for macroprolactinomas. Among patients for whom total resection (vs. debulking) was the primary surgical goal, long-term biochemical remission was achieved in 84% of patients (88% with adjuvant therapy). One operative complication with no neurological sequelae occurred in a patient with a giant invasive adenoma. Permanent arginine vasopressin deficiency was observed in three patients and transient diplopia was observed in four patients.

Conclusion: The addition of endoscopic transcavernous approaches for prolactinoma resection can be safe and effective in selected patients after multidisciplinary evaluation when performed by an experienced neurosurgical team, providing further support for the wider adoption of surgery in the management of prolactinomas.

Keywords: Endoscopic endonasal surgery; Pituitary adenoma; Prolactinoma; Remission; Transcavernous.