Dr. Jennifer Villwock, researcher Mark Villwock, Dr. Eric Deshaies, and Dr. Parul Goyal recently conducted a study on patients undergoing surgery for pituitary tumors. The article, Significant increases of pituitary tumors and resections from 1993 to 2011, was published in the September issue of the International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology. Dr. Eric Deshaies is the incoming Medical Director for Endovascular and Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery at Crouse Hospital and Dr. Goyal is a Rhinologist and Skull Base Surgeon at Syracuse Otolaryngology.
The pituitary gland is a gland located in the skull, at the base of the brain. The gland secretes hormones that help control many functions throughout the body. Patients can sometimes develop tumors in the pituitary gland. For some tumors, surgery may be the best treatment option.
The researchers studied trends in pituitary tumor diagnosis and pituitary tumor surgery. They found that there were significant increases in the diagnosis of pituitary tumors over the years 1993 to 2011. In addition, more patients diagnosed with pituitary tumors underwent surgery for these tumors. Data was obtained from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, the largest public database of inpatient admissions in the United States.
According to the study, a possible reason for the higher rate of diagnosis of pituitary tumors is the greater availability of diagnostic technology like MRI. There have also been significant advancements in surgery for these tumors in recent years. Many tumors are now treated with a procedure called endoscopic pituitary tumor resection. With this type of technique, surgeons go through the nostril and can reach the tumor without making any incisions on the outside of the face or skull. Patients recover rapidly and have excellent outcomes. The availability of these types of surgical techniques may be one reason for the increase in rates of surgery for pituitary tumors.
Dr. Deshaies and Dr. Goyal are surgeons who specialize in surgery for pituitary tumors and other skull base tumors. Because these tumors involve the region at the junction of the brain, the nose, and the sinuses, the two surgeons work together to treat patients with these types of complex problems. Both surgeons are committed to achieving outstanding results in patients undergoing surgery for tumors of the skull base. The team also works to conduct research and provide education on skull base surgery.
This paper is one of a series of studies the team has conducted on pituitary tumors. In September, the team is presenting another study at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. This study, entitled The Effect of Surgical Approach on Outcomes Following Pituitary Tumor Resection, studies differences in complications between different types of procedures used to treat pituitary tumors.
A link to the article is below:
Significant increases of pituitary tumors and resections from 1993 to 2011