Comparison of microscopic transsphenoidal surgery and neuroendoscopic transsphenoidal surgery in pituitary adenoma resection and the risk factors of postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leakage.

Objective: To compare microscopic transsphenoidal surgery (MTS) and neuroendoscopic transsphenoidal surgery (NTS) in pituitary adenoma (PA) resection and analyze the risk factors of postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leakage (CFL).

Methods: The clinical data of 127 patients with PA treated in Xi'an International Medical Center Hospital from January 2019 to January 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. Among them, 54 patients treated by MTS for PA resection were assigned to the control group, while the rest of the 73 patients treated by NTS for PA resection were assigned to the study group. The total tumor resection rate, decrease of hormone levels after operation, alleviation of primary symptoms and complications were compared between the two groups. Logistics regression analysis was conducted to analyze the risk factors of CFL.

Results: The control group experienced a shorter operation time than the study group (P<0.001). The resection rates of the control and study groups were comparable, but the study group showed a lower incidence of postoperative complications than the control group (P = 0.004). In addition, the study group showed better alleviation of primary symptoms than the control group (P = 0.013). After surgery, the two groups presented decreased levels of prolactin and growth hormone (P<0.001), and also showed decreased average adrenocorticotropic hormone (P<0.001). Moreover, the two groups were not significantly different in the levels of prolactin, growth hormone and adrenocorticotropic hormone after surgery (P>0.05). According to multivariate logistics regression analysis, body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.003, OR = 8.791, 95% CI: 2.050-37.693), intraoperative CFL (P = 0.002, OR = 21.614, 95% CI: 0.305-153.162) and therapeutic regimen (P = 0.011, OR = 7.060, 95% CI: 1.554-32.076) were independent risk factors for postoperative CFL.

Conclusion: Compared with MTS, endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery requires a notably longer time, but it can strongly improve the total resection rate of patients and reduce the incidence of postoperative complications. Endoscopic surgery is a protective factor of postoperative CFL.