Cohort Study | Long-term changes in the size of pituitary microadenomas

Summary: The prevalence of pituitary lesions in radiologic studies is estimated to be 10% to 38.5%. However, it is unclear how frequently incidental lesions should be monitored by serial pituitary MRI. A retrospective longitudinal cohort study was conducted to evaluate changes in pituitary microadenomas over time. During the study period (from 2003 to 2021), 414 patients with pituitary microadenomas were identified, and 177 patients had more than 1 MRI. Approximately two-thirds of the microadenomas demonstrated no change or a decrease in size, while the rest exhibited a slow growth rate, indicating that less frequent monitoring could be considered safe.

Article: Long-Term Changes in the Size of Pituitary Microadenomas – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

News Release: Fewer surveillance MRIs may be appropriate for patients with incidental pituitary lesions – American College of Physicians

Commentary on Twitter

New from @harvardmed: new study suggests that less frequent pituitary #MRI surveillance for patients with incidental pituitary #microadenomas may be safe: https://t.co/w4hzk8ISQq pic.twitter.com/2MeK14SRph

— Annals of Int Med (@AnnalsofIM) February 28, 2023