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February 2014 Pituitary Research Articles

 Knowledge is power and we believe keeping abreast of news on the research front is imperative. Each month in Highlights we feature a few of the top news stories, which you can read below. In addition, we update our website on a regular basis with the latest breaking news related to pituitary and hormonal disorders by gathering stories we think you'll be interested in from MD Linx, Medscape, MedPage Today, PubMed, Touch Endocrinology, News-Medical.net and WebMD.

 MedPage Today

Colonoscopies: The Longer the Better

Polyp and adenoma detection rates were highest when the colonoscopy withdrawal time was 9 minutes long, near the upper limit of the recommended 6 to 10 minutes withdrawal time, researchers found. 

EndoType: Journal Revisits Study Standards

The Endocrine Society is revisiting a call for tighter editorial standards on sex hormone studies accepted for publication.

EndoType: U.S. Men Get More 'T' Tests Than Brits

A far greater proportion of men in the U.S. are tested for low testosterone than their British counterparts. 

Bodybuilders Bulk Up Using ... Cancer Drugs?

While steroids are all-stars among performance-enhancing drugs, breast cancer drugs are a lesser-known staple of doping regimens, as are some investigational agents that aren't available on any regulated market.

MD Linx

Pituitary adenomas in childhood and adolescence with a focus on intratumoral hemorrhage
Pituitary, 01/20/2014 Clinical Article
Kinoshita Y, et al. – Pituitary adenomas in childhood and adolescence are relatively rare. In the present study the authors investigated intratumoral hemorrhage in pituitary adenomas and examined cases of intratumoral hemorrhage using adult patients for comparison. Based on both MRI and operative findings, intratumoral hemorrhage was significantly more likely to occur in young patients, compared with adult patients.
http://www.mdlinx.com/endocrinology/news-article.cfm/5061183/pituitary-adenoma-intratumoral-hemorrhage-children-adolescence

Downregulation of Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 6 is associated with ACTH-secreting pituitary adenoma growth
Pituitary, 01/08/2014 Clinical Article
Yang Y, et al. – The study aims to investigate Insulin–like growth factor binding protein 6 (IGFBP6) expression in Adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)–secreting pituitary adenomas, and its involvement in tumor growth. IGFBP6 attenuation in ACTH–secreting pituitary adenomas is associated with tumor growth, through activation of PI3K–AKT–mTOR pathway. The finding underlies IGFBP6 roles in Cushing disease and would potentially provide a novel target of medical therapies.
http://www.mdlinx.com/endocrinology/news-article.cfm/5041035/igfbp6-acth-secreting-pituitary-adenoma-tumor

Fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery using the Novalis system for the management of pituitary adenomas close to the optic apparatus
Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, 12/18/2013 Clinical Article
Liao HI, et al. – In this study, the authors analyzed the feasibility of fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery to treat pituitary tumors close to the optic apparatus. This study suggests that fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery is safe for treating pituitary adenomas close to the optic apparatus. Studies with more patients and longer follow–up are required to draw definite conclusions.
http://www.mdlinx.com/endocrinology/news-article.cfm/5007541/fractionation-optic-neuropathy-pituitary-adenoma-radiation

Surgical complications after transsphenoidal microscopic and endoscopic surgery for pituitary adenoma: a consecutive series of 506 procedures
Acta Neurochirurgica, 01/02/2014 Clinical Article
Halvorsen H, et al. – The authors sought to determine the surgical complication rate and overall survival rate after transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenoma. Transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenomas has a low complication rate and a low rate of mortality. They did not find a significant difference in the complication rate between endoscopic and microscopic techniques.
http://www.mdlinx.com/endocrinology/news-article.cfm/5010081/adenomacomplicationsendoscopymicrosurgerypituitarytranssphenoidal

Relationship between the pituitary stalk angle in prefixed, normal, and postfixed optic chiasmata: An anatomic study with microsurgical application
Acta Neurochirurgica, 01/02/2014 Clinical Article
Griessenauer CJ, et al. – The relationship between the optic apparatus and the skull base is important during approaches near the sella turcica. One relationship that dictates which approach is taken is whether the optic chiasm is prefixed or postfixed or in a "normal" location, (centered over the diaphragma sella). The relationship between the position of the chiasm and the angulation of the pituitary stalk has not been investigated. These data may assist skull base surgeons when approaching pathology near the optic chiasm and pituitary stalk.
http://www.mdlinx.com/endocrinology/news-article.cfm/5031270/headacheneurosurgical-proceduresoptic-chiasmpituitary-glandskull-base

PubMed

Patient perspectives on the impact of acromegaly: results from individual and group interviews.
Gurel MH, Bruening PR, Rhodes C, Lomax KG.
Patient Prefer Adherence. 2014 Jan 9;8:53-62. doi: 10.2147/PPA.S56740. eCollection 2014 Jan 9.

Hypercalcemia and Acromegaly - Clarifying the Connections. A Case Report and Review of the Literature.
Manroa P, Kannan S, Hatipoglu B, Licata A.
Endocr Pract. 2014 Jan 21:1-14. [Epub ahead of print]

Forces Applied at the Skull Base during Transnasal Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Pituitary Tumor Excision.
Bekeny JR, Swaney PJ, Webster RJ 3rd, Russell PT, Weaver KD.
J Neurol Surg B Skull Base. 2013 Dec;74(6):337-41. doi: 10.1055/s-0033-1345108. Epub 2013 May 9.

Concomitant transsphenoidal approach to the anterior skull base and endoscopic sinus surgery in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.
Schaberg MR, Shah GB, Evans JJ, Rosen MR.
J Neurol Surg B Skull Base. 2013 Aug;74(4):241-6. doi: 10.1055/s-0033-1342916. Epub 2013 Apr 3.

A novel technique for pedicled nasoseptal flap takedown in revision skull base surgery.
Nation JJ, Shkoukani M, Guthikonda M, Folbe AJ.
J Neurol Surg B Skull Base. 2013 Aug;74(4):225-7. doi: 10.1055/s-0033-1342926. Epub 2013 Apr 3.

Acellular dermal allograft for sellar repair after transsphenoidal approach to pituitary adenomas.
Gaynor BG, Benveniste RJ, Lieberman S, Casiano R, Morcos JJ.
J Neurol Surg B Skull Base. 2013 Jun;74(3):155-9. doi: 10.1055/s-0033-1338263. Epub 2013 Mar 13.

Craniocaudal extension as an indication of surgical outcome in transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenomas.
Hamid O, El Hakim A, El Husseiny H, El Fiky L, Kamel S.
Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2013 Aug;65(Suppl 2):231-5. doi: 10.1007/s12070-011-0350-3. Epub 2011 Nov 27.

Pituitary apoplexy due to thyroxine therapy in a patient with congenital hypothyroidism.
Tutanc M, Altas M, Yengil E, Ustun I, Dolapcioglu KS, Balci A, Sefil F, Gokce C.
Acta Med Indones. 2013 Oct;45(4):306-11.

Ectopic pituitary adenoma associated with an empty sella presenting with hearing loss: case report with literature review.
Liang J, Libien J, Kunam V, Shao C, Rao C.
Clin Neuropathol. 2014 Jan 22. [Epub ahead of print]

A case report of sarcoma of the sella caused by postoperative radiotherapy for a prolactin-producing pituitary adenoma.
Kurosaki M, Kambe A, Ishibashi M, Watanabe T, Horie Y.
Brain Tumor Pathol. 2014 Jan 21. [Epub ahead of print]

Metastatic involvement of the pituitary gland: a systematic review with pooled individual patient data analysis.
He W, Chen F, Dalm B, Kirby PA, Greenlee JD.
Pituitary. 2014 Jan 21. [Epub ahead of print]

Pituitary Macroadenoma on 99mTc-TRODAT-1 Brain SPECT.
Hsieh TC, Wu YC, Sun SS, Hsu CN, Kao CH.
Clin Nucl Med. 2014 Jan 17. [Epub ahead of print]

High-Field iMRI in transsphenoidal pituitary adenoma surgery with special respect to typical localization of residual tumor.
Paterno V, Fahlbusch R.
Acta Neurochir (Wien). 2014 Jan 19. [Epub ahead of print]

From the Idea to Its Realization: The Evolution of Minimally Invasive Techniques in Neurosurgery.
Grunert P.
Minim Invasive Surg. 2013;2013:171369. Epub 2013 Dec 17. Review.

Androgen Receptor Gene CAG Repeat Polymorphism Regulates the Metabolic Effects of Testosterone Replacement Therapy in Male Postsurgical Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism.
Tirabassi G, Delli Muti N, Corona G, Maggi M, Balercia G.
Int J Endocrinol. 2013;2013:816740. doi: 10.1155/2013/816740. Epub 2013 Dec 12.

Opposite Influence of Light and Blindness on Pituitary-Gonadal Function.
Bellastella A, De Bellis A, Bellastella G, Esposito K.
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2014 Jan 13;4:205. eCollection 2014 Jan 13. Review.

Effects of testosterone replacement therapy on bone metabolism in male post-surgical hypogonadotropic hypogonadism: focus on the role of androgen receptor CAG polymorphism.
Tirabassi G, Delli Muti N, Gioia A, Biagioli A, Lenzi A, Balercia G.
J Endocrinol Invest. 2014 Jan 24. [Epub ahead of print]

Nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas: association of Ki-67 and HMGA-1 labeling indices with residual tumor growth.
Steňo A, Bocko J, Rychlý B, Chorváth M, Celec P, Fabian M, Belan V, Steňo J.
Acta Neurochir (Wien). 2014 Jan 23. [Epub ahead of print]

ISOLATED GROWTH HORMONE DEFICIENCY (GHD) IN CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE: RECENT ADVANCES.
Alatzoglou KS, Alice Webb E, Le Tissier P, Dattani MT.
Endocr Rev. 2014 Jan 22:er20131067. [Epub ahead of print]