Prioritisation of surgery for pituitary tumours
Reviewed by Gauri Mankekar

This study is based on the findings of internationally renowned skull base surgeons who convened to recommend this stratification scheme. The study authors report that incidental diagnosis of pituitary tumours during routine imaging as well as early identification of visual and other symptoms has increased the number of patients being detected with pituitary tumours. This has increased the burden on the health system with fewer operating room slots and more patients with the disease. To manage this skewed situation and to improve patient care, the authors recommend patient-by-patient assessment and stratification of patients as those needing immediate attention (urgent), those in whom treatment needs to be initiated within 1-2 weeks (prompt), and patients requiring treatment within three months (soon). They suggest that asymptomatic macroadenomas can be monitored in the third group with clinical, visual, neurological and imaging studies.

Preoperative stratification of transsphenoidal pituitary surgery patients based on surgical urgency.
Zaidi HA, Wang AJ, Cote DJ, et al.
NEUROSURGERY
2017;81(4):659-64.