Abstract

Objective: Endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery is the most frequently preferred surgical approach for skull base pathologies. Approximately 95% of patients undergo transsphenoidal techniques. Despite surgical resection, recurrence may occur. In the literature, there are only a limited number of publications on this topic, primarily in the form of case reports and systematic reviews. The aim of our study is to present the recurrence outcomes of nonfunctioning pituitary neuroendocrine tumor (PitNET) cases operated in our center using the endoscopic transsphenoidal approach.

Materials and Methods: Between January 2017 and February 2025, demographic, pathological, and radiological data, as well as surgical videos of patients with recurrent nonfunctioning PitNETs who underwent endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery at a single tertiary center, were retrospectively reviewed.

Results: The study included 115 patients, of whom 39 were female and 76 were male. Twenty-one patients underwent surgery three times, five patients underwent surgery four times, three patients underwent surgery five times, and two patients underwent surgery six times due to recurrent nonfunctioning PitNET.

Conclusion: Recurrence may occur following endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery. In recurrent nonfunctioning cases, patient age, sex, tumor size, and pathological indices affect the recurrence rate. The first surgery plays a critical role in pituitary neuroendocrine tumors. Initial operations performed by experienced surgeons are of paramount importance in reducing the risk of recurrence.

Keywords: pituitary adenoma, recurrent, macroadenoma, non-functional, cavernous sinus, Ki-67

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Copyright and license

Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

How to cite

1.
Ayyıldız S, Ergen A, Çaklılı M, Anık İ, Ceylan S. Recurrent nonfunctioning pituitary neuroendocrine tumor (PitNET) cases following endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery. Sinir Sistemi Cerrahisi Derg 2025;10(2):66-71. https://doi.org/10.54306/SSCD.2025.221