Transnasal transsphenoidal approach to pituitary tumors has provide excellent surgical results with low morbidity and mortality. Many ENT surgeons are also present excellent surgical results in endoscopic nasal sinus operations. The last year many authors have reported initial results in combining these approaches.
During the transsphenoidal approach for total resection of the adenomas the lesion or portions of this may be hidden behind unretractable structures. For example, parts of the adenomas may be infiltrated the cavernous sinus, or may be attached underneath the optic nerve and the optic chiasm. Use the endoscope’s to visualize those structures can avoid the risk of inadverted injury and can help to remove the hidden adenomas into the cavernous sinus.
The last year we use the endoscope’s as assist to microsurgical resection of the pituitary microadenomas and macroadenomas. Technical details of this approach are discussed and illustrated cases are presented. We also present the postoperative endocrinological evaluation in our cases and we compare our result with previous cases, which was operated without endoscopes.
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