Objective: To evaluate the relationship between visual acuity (VA) and endocrine status among patients with giant sellar tumors pre and postsurgical treatment.
Methods: A 7-year single institution prospective cohort study of patients with giant sellar tumors treated by pterional transylvian microsurgical resection. Patients were evaluated and followed-up by a collaborative team of ophthalmologists and neurosurgeons.
Results: Sellar tumors represent 25% of our brain tumors cases (n = 257). Giant sellar tumors were 61 (23.7%) cases. Pituitary adenomas occurred in 40 patients and in 24 of these, the tumor was a functional adenoma. The age range was 16 to 75 years with a mean of 43.7 ± 3.3 years. Visual impairment (n = 60), headache (n = 55), and endocrinopathy (24) were among the common manifestations. VA and visual field defects were experienced by 59 and 39 patients, respectively. For both eyes, endocrine active tumors presented with poorer preoperative VA profile using mean logMAR VA [(χ2 = 10.3, P = 0.002 OD) and (χ2 = 8.9, P = 0.003 OS)]. Postoperatively, the mean logMAR VA profiles of endocrine active tumors showed a significantly better response when compared to endocrine inactive tumors in both eyes [(χ2 = 5.53, P = 0.029 OD) and (χ2 = 6.77, P = 0.037 OS)].
Conclusion: Visual acuity defects are almost invariable in patients with giant sellar tumor and may be associated with an endocrine profile. Surgical resection with normalization of hormone status is rewarded with VA improvement.
Keywords: Endocrine status; giant sellar tumors; microsurgical resection; outcome; visual acuity.