Pituitary adenomas: Radiosurgery

Abstract Radiation therapy plays a crucial role as an adjuvant treatment in patients with residual or recurrent pituitary adenomas following surgery. Stereotactic radiosurgery permits a more precise dose delivery to the biological target and sparing of the normal surrounding structures. The Leksell Gamma Knife equipment is the most widespread technology to deliver stereotactic radiosurgery. Starting from the early 1990s, data on the efficacy and safety of Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) in pituitary adenoma have become increasingly available. The results of several studies confirm that GKRS has a good efficacy to reverse hormone hypersecretion and control tumor growth in most cases of pituitary adenomas. The safety profile of GKRS has been well demonstrated. Severe adverse events are rare, while the risk of hypopituitarism in cases with favorable morphological features may be relatively low.