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Surgical management of pituicytomas: a single-center case series

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Abstract

Objective

Pituicytomas (PT) are rare benign sellar and/or supra sellar tumors which surgical treatment might be challenging, owing to the hypervascularity of the tumor. Here, we report our experience with PTs, describe their clinical and radiological features, and propose an optimal therapeutic strategy.

Methods

This is a retrospective single-center study, reporting the clinical manifestations, radiological characteristics, histopathological features, treatment strategies and long-term outcomes of four patients who have been treated for a PT at Bicêtre University Hospital in Paris, France, over the past 7 years.

Results

Four patients were operated mean age at presentation was 60.25 years. Main symptoms, which tended to be progressive, included visual field defects and pituitary-hypothalamic dysfunction. Radiologically, all our cases resented with sellar and suprasellar localization with cavernous invasion in 75% of cases. Endoscopic transphenoidal approach was performed as first surgery for all cases. Transcranial route was done in one case. During surgery, important bleeding was observed in all cases. Gross total resection was obtained with a single surgery in two cases and a second surgery was necessary in the two remaining cases. Pathological diagnosis was confirmed in all cases. No recurrences were noted after an average follow-up of 3.6 years.

Conclusions

PT is a rare differential diagnosis of sellar and/or parasellar tumors, whose hemorrhagic nature can become a challenge during surgery. We added four more cases to the literature to make physicians establish Piticytomas at suspicion diagnosis for sellar and/or suprasellar masses. Knowing the diagnosis, a preparation should be made preoperatively to avoid possible complications peroperatively.

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Funding

The authors did not receive support from any organization for the submitted work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurosurgery Department, Bicêtre Hospital, AP-HP, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France

    Amine Trifa, Steven Knafo, Ahmed Maatoug, Matei Militaru, Nozar Aghakhani & Fabrice Parker

  2. Medical School, University Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France

    Steven Knafo, Nozar Aghakhani & Fabrice Parker

  3. Neurosurgery Department, Fattouma Bourguiba Hospital, Monastir, Tunisia

    Amine Trifa

  4. Neurosurgery Department, Habib Bourguiba Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia

    Ahmed Maatoug

  5. Neurosurgery Department, Foch Hospital, Suresnes, France

    Razvan Copaciu

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  1. Amine Trifa
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  3. Ahmed Maatoug
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  4. Matei Militaru
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All authors contributed equally to the manuscript and read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Amine Trifa.

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Trifa, A., Knafo, S., Maatoug, A. et al. Surgical management of pituicytomas: a single-center case series. Acta Neurol Belg 123, 815–822 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-022-01917-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-022-01917-0

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