Can pituitary tumors in men be cured?

Pituitary tumor is a very common disease. Generally, patients with pituitary tumor will not only affect their growth and development, but also their fertility, and their ability to learn and work will also be affected. Whether pituitary tumor can be cured depends on the patient's condition. However, timely treatment of pituitary tumor is very critical. The earlier the treatment, the easier it is to control the disease.

Can pituitary tumors be cured?

1. Surgical method

Generally speaking, surgical treatment of pituitary tumors is divided into two categories: transcranial surgery and transsphenoidal surgery.

① The main transcranial surgical approaches include subfrontal, transfrontal (pterional) and transsubtemporal, among which the first two are the most commonly used.

② Transsphenoidal surgical approach includes transoronasal sphenoidal sinus, transnasal sphenoidal, and transsphenoidal sieve, making it the most widely used surgical method for pituitary tumors.

2. Surgical Indications

Craniotomy: Mainly transfrontal approach. It only accounts for 5% of pituitary adenoma surgeries; Transcranial approach is suitable for: tumors growing above the sella, around the sella, below the frontal and on the slope; Transnasal sphenoidal approach: Currently, more than 95% of pituitary adenomas are removed through the transnasal sphenoidal approach.

Indications for transnasal sphenoidal sinus surgery include:

1. Various types of pituitary microadenomas;

2. Various types of pituitary macroadenomas;

3. Various types of giant pituitary adenomas (maximum diameter>3.0cm;

4. For patients with advanced giant tumors invading the cavernous sinus or even the cavernous sinus into the middle cranial fossa;

5. Preposition of optic chiasma;

6. The tumor grows toward the sphenoid sinus and grows backward to invade the dorsum sella and clivus, causing cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea.

3. Surgical Complications

1. Nasal secretions: A few months after surgery, nasal congestion often occurs, and a small amount of bloody secretions or clear liquids continue to flow out of the nasal cavity. Nasal drops can be dripped into the nasal cavity to reduce inflammation. One week after surgery, the nasal secretions should be cleaned 1 to 2 times in the ENT department.

2. Nose bleeding: It usually occurs after the nasal packing gauze is removed after surgery, or a few days later. In mild cases, temporary filling of the nasal cavity with cotton balls can be effective. In severe cases (several hundred milliliters of bleeding), angiography is required.

3. Headache: It may be caused by multiple factors such as nasal mucosal edema and sphenoid sinus endothelium. In severe cases, painkillers can be taken to treat the symptoms.

4. Hypopituitarism: Symptoms include fever, general weakness, headache, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, etc. Check blood cortisol and thyroid hormone. Once the diagnosis is clear, use prednisone and thyroid hormone for treatment under the guidance of a doctor.

5. Hyponatremia: It usually occurs 4 to 8 days after surgery, and is manifested by low fever, weakness, headache, nausea, vomiting, and worsening of consciousness in severe cases. Blood tests show low chloride levels. After a clear diagnosis, the patient is given an infusion of hyperosmotic saline and restricted from drinking water.

6. Spinal fluid rhinorrhea: Clear water flows continuously from the nasal cavity, which worsens when the head is lowered, accompanied by headache and possible fever. Surgery is required for severe cases.