经眶——额下人路手术联合术后X刀治疗大型垂体腺瘤

目的 探讨大型垂体腺瘤的根治方法与手术安全性。方法 1999年1月∽2002年4月我院对14例大型、巨大型垂体腺瘤采用一侧眶-额下入路手术，尽可能充分地切除肿瘤，至少做到将肿瘤的鞍上部分完全切除。术后1．5～3．5个月内X刀进一步治疗鞍内残瘤。结果 肿瘤全切除4例，鞍内残留10例，无一例出现严重手术并发症。8例残瘤术后行X刀治疗，未出现视力损害和垂体功能减退。X刀补充治疗的8例随访5～26个月，平均14．8个月，无一例肿瘤复发。结论眶-额下入路手术操作方便，利于充分切除肿瘤和减少手术并发症。术后加行X-刀治疗可能控制肿瘤复发。     

单侧鼻孔经蝶微侵袭垂体腺瘤手术治疗

目的总结单侧鼻孔经蝶入路垂体腺瘤切除术的手术经验及体会。方法对115例垂体腺瘤病人采用经单鼻孔蝶窦入路行显微镜下垂体腺瘤切除手术，其中垂体微腺瘤7例，大腺瘤79例，巨大腺瘤29例(其中累及海绵窦者6例，肿瘤卒中2例)。结果100例肿瘤获全切，目前4例复发，其中3例二次手术，10例大部切除，5例部分切除。所有病人术后内分泌症状均有不同程度改善。术后尿崩症15例，经治疗出院时均恢复正常，1例术后单眼视力较术前明显下降，脑脊液鼻漏2例，术后嗅觉丧失2例。结论此入路有手术距离缩短、损伤小、省时、简单、并发症身等优点。     

改良翼点入路显微手术切除垂体巨腺瘤及术中垂体柄保护

目的 探讨巨大型垂体腺瘤显微手术切除及垂体柄保护方法。方法 采用改良翼点入路对48例巨大垂体腺瘤（直径〉40mm）行显微手术切除，术中注意保护垂体柄。结果 肿瘤伞切除36例，近全切除8例，大部切除4例，其中全切除患者垂体柄保留30例（83．3％）。所有病例无一例死亡。术后发生尿崩症31例（64．6％），其中21例在1～2周内恢复正常，7例在3个月内恢复，3例尿崩症状持续2年左右？随访2～3年，无复发病例，无其他并发症。结论 采用改良翼点入路治疗巨大垂体瘤效果确切，术中垂体柄保留是降低术后尿崩症发生率、提高手术疗效的关键措施。     

经口鼻蝶窦显微外科治疗垂体腺瘤

目的：探讨垂体腺瘤的诊断和经口鼻蝶窦显微手术的方法及经验。方法：经口鼻蝶窦显微外科切除垂体腺瘤30例，（微腺瘤8例，大腺瘤18例，巨大腺瘤4例，侵袭性腺瘤16例），观察其治疗效果。结果：肿瘤全切除26例（86.7%），次全切除4例，无死亡病例，术后并发症少。25例（83.3%）随访6个月-5年，痊愈22例（88%），好转3例，复发1例。结论：MR对选择手术入路有重要作用。经口鼻蝶窦显微手术是治疗垂体腺瘤的有效、安全的一种方法。     

蝶窦入路切除垂体腺瘤后患者视力障碍恶化的原因及防治

目的：探讨经蝶窦入路切除垂体腺瘤后视力障碍恶化的原因和防治方法。方法：对采用经蝶窦入路切除垂体腺瘤,术后出现视力障碍恶化的14例患者的临床资料（病史、临床表现、影像学结果及手术所见)进行回顾分析。结果：本组患者出现视力障碍恶化的原因,5例为临床填放物过多、3例为残瘤卒中、2例可能为血管痉挛、2例为颅内压增高、1例为视神经管内视神经受损、1例原因不明。结论：经蝶窦入路切除垂体腺瘤,术后患者视力障碍恶化是垂体腺瘤手术的严重并发症,及时发现和早期治疗可以显著改善患者视力。     

垂体大腺瘤经蝶显微手术84例

目的总结经蝶入路治疗垂体大腺瘤的手术经验. 方法 1999年1月～2003年12月采用经蝶窦入路显微手术治疗垂体大腺瘤84例,其中经右侧鼻腔-鼻中隔-蝶窦入路74例,经唇下-鼻中隔-蝶窦入路10例. 结果手术无死亡.术后MRI复查显示,近全切除(>95%)56例(66.7%),次全切除(>85%)18例(21.4%),部分切除(<50%)10例(11.9%).4例部分切除,术后1周再次行经额或经翼点入路手术切除肿瘤.65例随访6～48个月,平均24个月,除3例复发接受放射治疗外,余62例均恢复良好. 结论经蝶显微手术治疗垂体大腺瘤是一种安全、有效的手术技术,术后放疗可以控制肿瘤复发.     

经口鼻蝶窦显微切除大型垂体腺瘤

目的 探讨经口鼻蝶窦显微切除大型垂体腺瘤的手术指征、显微外科操作要点及临床疗效。方法 自1998年5月～2003年5月，采用经口鼻蝶窦入路切除大型垂体腺瘤87例，对其临床资料进行回顾性总结。结果 其中81例肿瘤在手术显微镜下全切除，全切除率为93％，次全切除6例。术后脑脊液鼻漏7例，其中1例继发颅内感染死亡，其余经治疗后痊愈。全部病例随访2～60个月(平均38．6个月)，手术全切除的病例目前均无复发，次全切除的2例分别于术后40个月和56个月复发。结论 垂体腺瘤手术疗效取决于肿瘤的切除程度；经口鼻蝶窦入路显微切除大型垂体腺瘤是一种安全有效的方法，手术病例的选择和显微手术技巧是肿瘤能否全切除的关键因素。     

经翼点入路显微手术切除垂体腺瘤20例

经翼点入路显微手术切除垂体腺瘤２０例邵彤，聂振明，刘学宽，程启龙，段德义，赵长地，朱广庭，李洛垂体腺瘤手术入路很多。从１９９０年１月至１９９６年１２月，我们对向鞍上及鞍旁等部位发展的大型垂体腺瘤，采用翼点入路切除２０例，效果满意，报道如下。临床资料本...     

巨大垂体腺瘤的治疗策略

目的通过回顾性分析32例巨大垂体腺瘤病例的临床资料，探讨其治疗策略。方法男性17例，女性15例，平均年龄46．7岁，平均病程4．7年。其中垂体生长激素(GH)腺瘤1例，泌乳素(PRL)腺瘤6例，无功能腺瘤25例。采用经口鼻蝶窦入路手术24例，经额下人路手术1例，经蝶窦和经颅分期手术6例，药物治疗1例。结果手术显微镜下肿瘤全部切除20例，7欠全切除9例，部分切除2例；手术后放疗10例，药物治疗5例。术后死亡1例。随访6个月～4年，影像学检查显示肿瘤全部切除15例，次全切除14例，部分切除2例；肿瘤无复发。结论对巨大垂体腺瘤，应根据患者的临床表现、内分泌学检查和肿瘤的生长方式决定治疗方案；大多数巨大垂体腺瘤可以首选经蝶窦入路手术，并发症较少，死亡率低；对侵袭性生长的肿瘤，应采用手术、放疗和药物综合治疗。     

脑肿瘤

内窥镜经蝶窦入路垂体瘤切除术的临床观察；磁共振成像诊断海绵窦侵袭型垂体瘤(附39例报告)；采用扩大经蝶窦入路方法切除鞍区和斜坡巨大肿瘤；神经导航在经蝶显微切除侵袭性鞍区肿瘤手术中的应用；神经内镜辅助锁孔显微外科治疗颅内胆质瘤；垂体瘤术后水钠紊乱的治疗；经蝶窦垂体瘤切除手术入路的探讨；脑转移瘤的外科治疗；岩斜区脑膜瘤的临床治疗研究；复发垂体ACTH腺瘤的诊断和再次经蝶手术治疗；巨大型垂体腺瘤经颅入路显微外科治疗；组织定向活检诊断为胶质瘤与手术病理符合率的比较研究；荧屏监视下经鼻蝶窦穿刺治疗鞍内囊性肿瘤。     

单纯神经内镜下经鼻蝶入路垂体瘤切除术

目的 分析单纯神经内镜经鼻蝶入路手术在垂体瘤外科治疗中的应用.方法 回顾2006年12月至2009年12月开展的375例神经内镜垂体瘤手术,其中男性177例,女性198例;年龄12～87岁,平均38.3岁.375例垂体瘤中,无功能性垂体瘤201例,分泌性垂体瘤174例(泌乳素瘤88例,生长激素瘤63例,促皮质激素瘤23例).其中巨大垂体瘤27例(7.2%),侵入海绵窦41例(10.9%).术中结合内镜应用了高场强术中磁共振和神经导航.术后和长期随访中进行视力、内分泌及影像学检查.结果 随访成功295例,其中全切除234例(79.3%),次全切除56例(19.0%),部分切除5例(1.7%).视力改善68例(93.0%,68/73).内分泌改善:泌乳素77.3%(68/88),生长激素84.1%(55/63),促皮质激素78.2%(18/23).手术并发症:无死亡,术后昏迷1例(0.3%),视力一过性下降2例(0.5%),动眼神经或外展神经一过性麻痹7例(2.1%),术后脑脊液鼻漏2例(0.5%),脑膜炎3例(0.8%).结论 内镜为经鼻蝶垂体瘤手术提供了一个全新的手段,手术效果好,安全性高.     

Thyroid-stimulating hormone pituitary adenomas

OBJECT: Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)-secreting pituitary adenomas are rare, representing < 2% of all pituitary adenomas. METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with TSH-secreting or clinically silent TSH-immunostaining pituitary tumors among all pituitary adenomas followed at their institution between 1987 and 2003. Patient records, including clinical, imaging, and pathological and surgical characteristics were reviewed. Twenty-one patients (6 women and 15 men; mean age 46 years, range 26-73 years) were identified. Of these, 10 patients had a history of clinical hyperthyroidism, of whom 7 had undergone ablative thyroid procedures (thyroid surgery/(131)I ablation) prior to the diagnosis of pituitary adenoma. Ten patients had elevated TSH preoperatively. Seven patients presented with headache, and 8 presented with visual field defects. All patients underwent imaging, of which 19 were available for imaging review. Sixteen patients had macroadenomas. RESULTS: Of the 21 patients, 18 underwent transsphenoidal surgery at the authors' institution, 2 patients underwent transsphenoidal surgery at another facility, and 1 was treated medically. Patients with TSH-secreting tumors were defined as in remission after surgery if they had no residual adenoma on imaging and had biochemical evidence of hypo-or euthyroidism. Patients with TSH-immunostaining tumors were considered in remission if they had no residual tumor. Of these 18 patients, 9 (50%) were in remission following surgery. Seven patients had residual tumor; 2 of these patients underwent further transsphenoidal resection, 1 underwent a craniotomy, and 4 underwent postoperative radiation therapy (2 conventional radiation therapy, 1 Gamma Knife surgery, and 1 had both types of radiation treatment). Two patients had persistently elevated TSH levels despite the lack of evidence of residual tumor. On pathological analysis and immunostaining of the surgical specimen, 17 patients had samples that stained positively for TSH, 8 for alpha-subunit, 10 for growth hormone, 7 for prolactin, 2 for adrenocorticotrophic hormone, and 1 for follicle-stimulating hormone/luteinizing hormone. Eleven patients (61%) ultimately required thyroid hormone replacement therapy, and 5 (24%) required additional pituitary hormone replacement. Of these, 2 patients required treatment for new anterior pituitary dysfunction as a complication of surgery, and 2 patients with preoperative partial anterior pituitary dysfunction developed complete panhypopituitarism. One patient had transient diabetes insipidus. The remainder had no change in pituitary function from their preoperative state. CONCLUSIONS: Thyroid-stimulating hormone-secreting pituitary lesions are often delayed in diagnosis, are frequently macroadenomas and plurihormonal in terms of their pathological characteristics, have a heterogeneous clinical picture, and are difficult to treat. An experienced team approach will optimize results in the management of these uncommon lesions.     

The usefulness of adjuvant therapy using gamma knife radiosurgery for the recurrent or residual nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas

We evaluated the treatment results of nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas in the era of radiosurgery. Between January 1994 and December 2003, we operated on 44 patients with nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas. 43 patients were operated on by transsphenoidal surgery and one patient was operated on by the transcranial approach. Total removal was able to be achieved in 13 patients (30%). Gamma knife radiosurgery was performed for residual tumor in 26 patients and for recurrence in 2 patients. The mean tumor diameter at the gamma knife radiosurgery was 18.2 mm (7.9 to 26.3 mm). The treatment dose was a mean of 12.3 Gy (8 to 16 Gy) to the tumor margin. The mean follow-up period after radiosurgery was 36.4 months. Tumor growth control was able to be achieved in 26 patients (93%). Two patients (7%) required adrenal and thyroid hormonal replacement during the follow-up period after radiosurgery due to radiation-induced endocrinopathy. None of the patients suffered from new cranial nerve deficits. This included optic neuropathy. Surgical resection using transsphenoidal surgery and subsequent gamma knife radiosurgery for residual and recurrent tumor proved to have a highly effective tumor growth control rate, and maintained the quality of life in patients with nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas.     

Outcomes and quality of life assessment in patients undergoing endoscopic surgery for pituitary adenomas

The endoscopic technique is increasingly being used for the resection of pituitary adenomas. Its efficacy and safety have been generally accepted, but its impact on the quality of life of the patients treated has not been previously addressed. Most of the studies assessing the quality of life after long-term cure of pituitary adenomas suggest a significantly impaired quality of life (QoL) in all subgroups of pituitary tumours. In our study we analyse QoL data following endoscopic surgery, and attempt comparisons with normative and data from standard approaches. The validated health questionnaire SF-36 was sent to 80 patients who had undergone pure endoscopic resection of a pituitary adenoma. Fifty-four patients returned the completed questionnaire. Outcomes were compared with normative data for the Short Form-36 (SF-36) Heath survey for the general Canadian population. We also compared the results amongst different types of adenomas. We attempted a comparison to previous studies on quality of life for patients who underwent conventional trans-sphenoidal surgery. Our study suggests only minimal impairment of quality of life in patients after successful treatment of pituitary adenomas using the endoscopic approach. There were only very few differences in the perceived quality of life within the different subgroups of adenomas. There was a trend to improved scores in the endoscopic group compared with previous studies in patients treated by conventional approaches. Whilst our data suggest minimal impact on the quality of life for patients after endoscopic removal of pituitary adenomas, further studies with larger number of patients and longer follow-up are required to encourage this finding.     

The long-term significance of microscopic dural invasion in 354 patients with pituitary adenomas treated with transsphenoidal surgery

OBJECT: Pituitary adenomas are considered benign tumors; however, they may infiltrate surrounding tissues including the dura mater. In this paper the authors analyze the clinical significance of microscopically confirmed dural invasion by comparing a range of variables (age and sex of patients, adenoma type, adenoma size on magnetic resonance [MR] images, remission, residual pituitary disease, recurrence, survival, and disease-free interval after surgery) between patients with noninvasive adenomas and those with invasive ones. METHODS: Between 1992 and 1997 dural specimens were obtained in 354 patients with pituitary adenomas who underwent transsphenoidal surgery performed by the senior author (E.R.L.). Dural specimens were examined using routine histological methods and assessed for invasion by pituitary adenoma tissue. The dura was invaded by the pituitary adenoma in 161 patients (45.5%), and in 192 patients (54.5%) no evidence of dural invasion was found. Dural invasion was present significantly more frequently in the repeated surgery group (69%, 55 patients) than in the primary transsphenoidal surgery group (41%, 291 patients). The mean age of patients undergoing primary transsphenoidal surgery was significantly older in cases of invasive adenomas (50 years) compared with cases of noninvasive adenomas (43 years), and these age differences also correlated with adenoma size. Women tend to develop clinically evident, smaller adenomas at a younger age than men. Of the patients with pituitary adenomas that were 20 mm or smaller, 117 (76%) of 154 were women, whereas of the patients with adenomas that were larger than 20 mm, 74 (54%) of 137 were men. The frequency of dural invasion increased with increasing size of the pituitary adenoma as measured on MR images. In 291 patients who underwent primary pituitary surgery, the frequency of dural invasion according to adenoma size was 24% (< or = 10 mm), 35% (> 10 to < or = 20 mm), 55% (> 20 to < or = 40 mm), and 70% (> 40 mm). In patients who underwent primary transsphenoidal surgery, dural invasion was present in more than 50% of those with nonfunctioning adenomas and in 30 to 35% of patients with endocrinologically active adenomas. The mean diameter of the gonadotrophic adenomas and null-cell adenomas was significantly larger than that of each of the endocrinologically active adenomas. In 58 (20%) of 291 patients who underwent primary pituitary surgery there was residual pituitary disease postsurgery, and 20% of this subset of patients showed clinical improvement to such an extent that no further management was recommended. After pituitary surgery, residual tumor tissue was demonstrable significantly more frequently in patients with invasive adenomas than in those with noninvasive adenomas. Recurrences after initial remission (cure) of pituitary disease occurred in 18 (8.8%) of 205 patients between 2 and 79 months after primary pituitary surgery (median 25 months). The recurrence rate was not related to dural invasion in a consistent or significant fashion. Seven patients died between 14 and 79 months after pituitary surgery and all had invasive adenomas identified on gross observation at surgery and on microscopy. The survival rate was slightly but significantly decreased for patients with invasive adenomas (91%) compared with patients with noninvasive adenomas (100%) at 6 years postsurgery. CONCLUSIONS: The principal significance of dural invasion by pituitary adenoma is the persistence of tumor tissue after transsphenoidal surgery (incomplete adenomectomy; 20% in primary pituitary tumor resections). The increase in adenoma size with time and the concurrent development of dural invasion are the major factors that determine an incomplete adenomectomy. When the adenoma remains restricted to the sellar compartment or shows only moderate suprasellar extension, dural invasion may not yet have developed and conditions for complete selective adenomectomy are improved.     

Corticotroph microadenomas of the pituitary stalk. Diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties

Thirteen percent of the pituitary adenomas in our series have been corticotroph adenomas. Most have been microadenomas located in the adenohypophysis, more often laterally than posteromedially. In a few rare cases, the corticotroph cells of the pars tuberalis gave rise to an adenoma. Only 16 cases of pituitary stalk adenomas have been published to date. We report here three new cases among a series of 150 patients who underwent surgery for corticotroph adenomas (2% incidence as in the literature). There was no difference in the clinical or biological presentation of intrasellar and pituitary stalk adenomas. This location must be systematically searched on the MRI, but a negative exploration cannot excluded the diagnosis of pituitary stalk adenoma like in intrasellar ones. Two anatomical entities seems to be separated. Some stalk adenomas developed preferentially in the supradiaphragmatic space (one in our series) and are accessible for selective resection. Others develop within the pituitary stalk itself and sometimes in the pars distalis (two patients in our series) which requires section of the pituitary stalk with hypophysectomy if the lower limit is not clearly seen during surgery. The subfrontal or pterional access is the approach of choice for suprasellar tumors. These approaches remain controversial for pituitary stalk adenomas because of the poor visibility of the pituitary stalk and the floor of the third ventricle. The transnasosphenoidal approach with extension to the sphenoidal planum and opening of the optochiasmatic cisterna appears to be the best alternative for surgical removal of these adenomas.     

Gliadel for pituitary adenomas and craniopharyngiomas

OBJECTIVE: We developed a protocol for a clinical trial of postresection implantation of Gliadel wafers in patients with aggressive, relentlessly recurring pituitary adenomas and craniopharyngiomas. METHODS: Ten patients, nine with pituitary adenomas and one with a craniopharyngioma, underwent implantation of from two to eight Gliadel wafers. RESULTS: No obvious adverse reactions occurred. Death as a result of disease progression occurred in two patients with malignant adenomas. One patient died as a result of a stroke after undergoing five surgical procedures and prior radiotherapy. The seven living patients have been followed for 5 to 27 months (mean follow-up, 19 mo). Four patients have been free of recurrent or residual tumor, two have stable residual disease, and one has experienced tumor progression. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest a role for Gliadel implantation in patients with recurring aggressive pituitary adenomas and craniopharyngiomas.     

Technical considerations of transsphenoidal removal of fibrous pituitary adenomas and evaluation of collagen content and subtype in the adenomas

Pituitary adenomas are usually soft, but 5-13.5% are fibrous adenomas which are difficult to remove. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and operative findings were evaluated in eight patients (12.1%) with fibrous pituitary adenoma among 66 patients. Tumor specimens were examined histologically and immunohistochemically for collagen content and subtypes. Seven patients had clinically inactive non-functioning pituitary adenomas and one patient growth hormone-secreting adenoma. All patients underwent transsphenoidal surgery. Four cases were giant adenomas with suprasellar extension of more than 2 cm. T1- and T2-weighted MR imaging showed the tumors as nearly isointense to the surrounding brain, except in one case where the tumor was high intense on T2-weighted MR imaging. All tumors required piecemeal resection using a micro-dissector and tumor forceps. Four tumors of maximum size more than 3 cm needed a second operation. The interface between the thinned normal pituitary gland and fibrous adenoma was intended to identify at the anterior-superior portion in recent four cases, which was helpful to remove the tumors and preserve pituitary functions. Histological examination revealed prominent deposition of collagen in the perivascular area. The percentage of collagen content in fibrous adenomas was more than 5% and significantly higher than that in soft adenomas and normal pituitary glands. Immunohistochemical examination showed positive staining for collagen types I and III in the fibrous adenomas, but only for type V collagen in the normal pituitary glands. Large fibrous adenomas can be resected by transsphenoidal surgery which may require two-stage operations. Identification of the interface between the normal pituitary gland and adenoma is helpful to remove fibrous adenomas and to preserve pituitary functions. We propose that firm adenomas containing more than 5% collagen are "fibrous" adenomas.     

Stereotactic radiosurgery as an alternative to fractionated radiotherapy for patients with recurrent or residual nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate tumor control rates and complications after stereotactic radiosurgery for patients with nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas. METHODS: Between 1992 and 2000, 33 patients underwent radiosurgery for treatment of nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas. Thirty-two patients (97%) had undergone one or more previous tumor resections. Twenty-two patients (67%) had enlarging tumors before radiosurgery. The median tumor margin dose was 16 Gy (range, 12-20 Gy). The median follow-up period after radiosurgery was 43 months (range, 16-106 mo). RESULTS: Tumor size decreased for 16 patients, remained unchanged for 16 patients, and increased for 1 patient. The actuarial tumor growth control rates at 2 and 5 years after radiosurgery were 97%. No patient demonstrated any decline in visual function. Five of 18 patients (28%) with anterior pituitary function before radiosurgery developed new deficits, at a median of 24 months after radiosurgery. The actuarial risks of developing new anterior pituitary deficits were 18 and 41% at 2 and 5 years, respectively. No patient developed diabetes insipidus. CONCLUSION: Stereotactic radiosurgery safely provides a high tumor control rate for patients with recurrent or residual nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas. However, despite encouraging early results, more long-term information is needed to determine whether radiosurgery is associated with lower risks of new endocrine deficits and radiation-induced neoplasms, compared with fractionated radiotherapy.     

Endoscopic endonasal trans-sphenoidal approach for pituitary adenomas: Is one nostril enough?

Background

Over the past decade, the endoscopic endonasal trans-sphenoidal approach has been used to resect pituitary adenomas. However, in the use of this procedure, some research teams prefer a two-nostril method, whereas other groups are in favor of the one-nostril method. Here, we present a series of pituitary adenomas and try to confirm whether or not one nostril is enough for endoscopic resection of most pituitary adenomas.

Methods

A total of 250 consecutive patients who underwent an endoscopic endonasal trans-sphenoidal approach were reviewed retrospectively, of which 200 were via the unilateral nostril (group 1) and 50 were via bilateral nostrils (group 2). Surgical and clinical outcomes were analyzed.

Results

For microadenomas, intrasellar macroadenomas and macroadenomas with moderate extrasellar extension, the prevalence of gross total resection (GTR), hormonal outcome and visual improvement were similar between the two groups. The one-nostril group had better results for duration of surgery and blood loss, with fewer rhinological complications. However, for macroadenomas with extensive extrasellar invasion, GTR was obtained in two of seven patients in group 2 but none in group 1.

Conclusion

The one-nostril method, which is relatively fast and minimally invasive, is adequate for endoscopic resection of most pituitary adenomas with moderate extension.