[Surgical management of pituitary adenomas with preservation of pituitary function (author's transl)].

Tumors of the pituitary gland comprise a large group of the intracranial tumors. As in all tumor surgery, early diagnosis is essential for the best outcome of treatment. However, the non-functioning adenomas are often diagnosed in their later stages of development as a result of the complexity of symptoms due to a mass lesion. In contrast, hormone-secreting adenomas give early symptoms which can be supported by reliable diagnostic laboratory findings and involve the production of growth hormone, prolactin and ACTH respectively. Using the transantro-sphenoidal route, our results of surgical removal of small tumors have been excellent, and microadenomas have been treated with preservation of normal pituitary function. However, an increasing size of the tumor considerably reduces the possibility of cure.