[Endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach for pituitary adenomas].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical curative effect of the endonasal transsphenoidal approach for removing pituitary adenoma (PA) under neuroendoscope-assisted. METHODS: There were 215 patients who had undergone neuroendoscopic transsphenoidal surgery. Each patient received CT or MRI examination which showed the size and surrounding structural of tumor. RESULTS: Among the 215 patients, 190 cases (88.4%) had total removal, 17 cases (7.9%) achieved subtotal removal and the remaining 8 cases (3.7%) with fibrous tumor was carried out partial removal. Two patients (0.9%) died after operation. Postoperative follow-up period was 1 to 10 months (the average was 3.5 months). In 182 patients, 150 cases (90.9%) got vision recovered rapidly compared with their preoperative symptoms, such as diminished acuities and visual field defects, and 15 cases (9.1%) had gotten improvements to some extend among 165 who diagnosed as pituitary macroadenoma (PMaA); There were 17 patients who diagnosed as microadenoma (PMiA) showed that the pituitary dyshormonism recovered gradually. CONCLUSIONS: The endonasal transsphenoidal surgery under the neuroendoscope-assisted appears to be a safe, effective and micro-invasive method for PA.