engleski

Epidemiology of pituitary tumors

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.

Epidemiology; Pituitary adenomas

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