Comprehensive review of stereotactic radiosurgery for medically and surgically refractory pituitary adenomas

Despite advances in surgical techniques and medical therapies, a significant proportion of pituitary adenomas remain endocrinologically active, demonstrate persistent radiographic disease, or recur when followed for long periods of time. While surgical intervention remains the first-line therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery is increasingly recognized as a viable treatment option for these often challenging tumors. In this review, we comprehensively review the literature to evaluate both endocrinologic and radiographic outcomes of radiosurgical management of pituitary adenomas. The literature clearly supports the use of radiosurgery, with endocrinologic remission rates and time to remission varying by tumor type [prolactinoma: 20–30%, growth hormone secreting adenomas: ~50%, adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)-secreting adenomas: 40–65%] and radiographic control rates almost universally greater than 90% with long-term follow-up. We stratify the outcomes by tumor type, review the importance of prognostic factors (particularly, pre-treatment endocrinologic function and tumor size), and discuss the complications of treatment (with special attention to endocrinopathy and visual complications). We conclude that the literature supports the use of radiosurgery for treatment-refractory pituitary adenomas, providing the patient with a minimally invasive, safe, and effective treatment option for an otherwise resistant tumor. As such, we provide literature-based treatment considerations, including radiosurgical dose, endocrinologic, radiographic, and medical considerations for each adenoma type.