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Pituitary metastasis: is there still a place for neurosurgical treatment?

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Abstract

Pituitary metastases are uncommon, ranging from 1 to 5 % of all metastases. Between 10 and 30 % of pituitary lesions are symptomatic responsible for diabetes insipidus, visual field defect or cranial nerve palsy. Primary sites are lung or breast in two-thirds of cases. There is no current reference concerning treatment of such lesions. Overall survival is poor and depends on primary site. Although the role of surgery is currently limited, discussion is warranted in several indications for diagnostic or symptomatic purposes. We report two cases of symptomatic pituitary metastases in a context of breast cancer and review the litterature concerning the role of surgery and other treatment modalities.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Nikki Sabourin-Gibbs, Rouen University Hospital, for her help in editing the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Rouen University Hospital, 1, rue de Germont, 76031, Rouen Cedex, France

    V. Gilard, S. Derrey, P. Hannequin & O. Langlois

  2. Department of Oncology, Henri Becquerel Cancer Center, Rouen, France

    C. Alexandru

  3. Department of Neurosurgery, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France

    F. Proust

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  1. V. Gilard
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  2. C. Alexandru
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  3. F. Proust
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  4. S. Derrey
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  6. O. Langlois
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Correspondence to V. Gilard.

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Gilard, V., Alexandru, C., Proust, F. et al. Pituitary metastasis: is there still a place for neurosurgical treatment?. J Neurooncol 126, 219–224 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11060-015-1967-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11060-015-1967-y

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