How is the disease treated?

How is the disease treated?

Surgical therapy is the primary treatment for most symptomatic adenomas. There are several surgical approaches to pituitary masses, but the majority can be removed adequately via the transsphenoidal approach. This approach offers less morbidity (hypopituitarism, dia-betes insipidus) and mortality than radiation or transcra-nial resection.

 Some of the larger lesions with extensive growth outside the sella are best approached through a craniotomy. Bromocriptine and L-dopa suppress GH levels and tumor size after oral administration. Bromocriptine, a dopamine agonist, and L-dopa, a dopamine precursor, sup-press hypothalamic-mediated GH secretion. These agents in addition to somatostatin analogs may offer alternatives to surgery in debilitated or elderly patients. The advantages and disadvantages of various treatment modalities must be weighed and prescribed according to the individual patient’s circumstances.