Pituitary Adenomas Associated with Signs of Endocrine Activity

Abstract

Acromegaly is the best known of the diseases resulting from pituitary tumors showing clinical signs of endocrine activity. This particular tumor type is found in 29 out of 89 (= 32%) pituitary adenomas in our series. This proportion is approached only by the series of Cushing (1912, 1933) and Tönnis (1953) who reported 28% acromegalic patients. No other series has shown a higher percentage: Bailey (1932), 25%; Grant (1948), 14%; Kernohan and Sayre (1965), 10.7%; Mundinger and Riechert (1967), 12.5%. The exceptionally high percentage in our own material probably is due to two reasons. 1. The author’s interest in acromegaly has resulted in an increased number of referrals for this condition. 2. Because of unsatisfactory results of conventional X-ray therapy in acromegaly, every acromegalic patient was operated upon. On the other hand, some patients with pituitary adenoma but lacking signs of endocrine hyperfunction have been treated successfully with radiotherapy alone. Svien and Colby (1967) as well as others have found this to be the case.