Long-term results of radiotherapy in the treatment of pituitary adenomas in children and adolescents

A retrospective review was performed of 11 children and adolescents (< 19 years of age) with diagnosed pituitary adenomas. The patients were treated with subtotal resection and postoperative irradiation (S + R) or with irradiation alone (RT) at the Radiation Oncology Center, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University Medical Center, from January 1958 through December 1982. Patient conditions at diagnosis were acromegaly in one, Nelson's syndrome in one, prolactinoma in three, chromophobe adenoma in three, and Cushing's disease in three. Median follow-up was 15.6 years (range 6.3-29.5 years). Only two patients have had failure: one at 8.6 years and the other at 20.7 years following treatment. All four patients with visual field (VF) defects at diagnosis underwent S + R, with only one developing recurrent disease. The remaining seven patients, who did not have VF defects, received RT only, and there has been one failure in this group. None have suffered long-term visual complications. All have been able to continue school and/or work. Three of eight females have borne children. Hypopituitarism requiring medication occurred in all who received S + R and in four of seven who received RT only.