DOI: 10.38053/acmj.1980905 ISSN: 2718-0115

Clinical presentation patterns and tumor characteristics of pituitary adenomas: a 10-year experience from a tertiary endocrinology center

Hüseyin Karaaslan, Faruk Elyiğit, Tevfik Sabuncu
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Aims: Pituitary adenomas (PAs) are among the most common intracranial neoplasms and exhibit a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations depending on hormonal activity and tumor size. This study evaluated the demographic characteristics, tumor size distribution, and clinical presentation patterns of individuals with PAs at a tertiary endocrinology center.Methods: This retrospective study included 522 individuals aged ≥16 years diagnosed with PAs between 2013 and 2023. Demographic characteristics, presenting symptoms, adenoma subtype, and tumor size were extracted from medical records and analyzed.Results: The mean age at diagnosis was 31.3±12.0 years, and 75.1% of the cohort were female. Nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs) (48.9%) and prolactinomas (44.8%) were the most common adenoma subtypes, whereas acromegaly (4.4%), Cushing's disease (1.7%), and TSH-secreting adenomas (0.2%) were uncommon. Microadenomas predominated overall (81.6%), particularly in NFPAs (85.9%), prolactinomas (82.5%), and Cushing's disease (88.9%), whereas macroadenomas were more frequent in acromegaly (74.0%). Females predominated in most subtypes, whereas acromegaly showed a male predominance (60.9%). Hypogonadal symptoms were the most frequently recorded presenting complaints, documented in 88.9% of individuals with prolactinomas and 58.4% of those with NFPAs. Galactorrhea was recorded in 37.6% of females with prolactinomas. Complaints potentially related to mass effect were most frequent in NFPAs (19.6%) and acromegaly (17.4%). Asymptomatic or nonspecific presentations were most common in NFPAs (22.0%).Conclusion: NFPAs and prolactinomas were the predominant PA subtypes. Clinical presentation and tumor size distribution varied considerably across adenoma subtypes. Recognition of these subtype-specific patterns may support the clinical evaluation of individuals with PAs.

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