Stereotactic radiosurgery for pituitary adenomas: A review of the literature and our experience

Pituitary adenomas are not just one of the most common intracranial tumors but also one of the most difficult to cure. Neurosurgeons have adapted their tools to include precise ionizing radiation in the form of the gamma knife to treat pituitary adenomas. The use of the gamma knife in the management of pituitary adenomas following microsurgery or in selected cases as a primary treatment is safe. The combined application of transsphenoidal surgery and Gamma Knife surgery is beneficial in many difficult cases. However in some patients, optimal control of tumor growth and normalization of hypersecretory states are not achieved. Innovative improvements in operative and radiosurgical techniques are required to avoid pituitary insufficiency and to reduce the number of the cases in which optimal radiosurgery is not feasible because of close tumor proximity to the optic pathways.