Craniopharyngioma is associated with excessive long-term multisystem morbidity and mortality, especially in female patients, despite a high cure rate. These observations indicate that dedicated long-term follow-up of these patients is required. The purpose of the follow-up should be: first, to look for recurrences and to ensure appropriate endocrine replacement, especially oestrogen replacement in premenopausal females; and second, to achieve intensive control of glucose, lipids, blood pressure and weight, as in any other patient with increased risk for cardiovascular disease.

We evaluated survival after optimal treatment for acromegaly and assessed the predictive effects of different remission criteria for survival in 164 consecutive acromegalic patients, treated by transsphenoidal surgery and adjuvant therapy between 1977 and 2002. The goal of treatment was a mean GH less than 5 mU/liter, a normal glucose-suppressed GH, and a normal IGF-I for age in all patients. Surgery initially cured 108 patients (66%). Adjuvant therapy for persistent disease was given to 49 patients. At the end of follow-up (mean, 12.3 yr), remission rates for surgery and multimodality treatment were 54% and 90%, respectively. In 2033 person-years of follow-up, 28 of 164 patients died, resulting in an observed:expected mortality ratio of 1.3 (confidence interval, 0.87-1.87). Significant predictors for survival were the duration of disease and the postoperative glucose-suppressed GH. The effects of these predictors became less significant with increasing follow-up duration. A time-dependent effect on survival was observed for serial IGF-I concentrations, but not for serial GH concentrations. Of the three remission criteria, IGF-I was the only one to be significantly associated with survival in this study, with a relative risk of 4.78 for an elevated as opposed to a normal IGF-I concentration.

Objective: The natural history of non-functioning pituitary macroadenomas (NFMA) has not been completely elucidated. Therefore, we evaluated pituitary function, visual fields, and tumor size during long-term follow-up of non-operated patients with NFMA. Design: Follow-up study. Patients: Twenty-eight patients (age 55G3 years) with NFMA, not operated after initial diagnosis, were included. Results: Initial presentation was pituitary insufficiency in 44%, visual field defects in 14%, apoplexy in 14%, and chronic headache in 7% of the patients. The duration of follow-up was 85G13 months. Radiological evidence of tumor growth was observed in 14 out of 28 patients (50%) after duration of follow-up of 118G24 months. Six patients (21%) were operated, because tumor growth was accompanied by visual field defects. Visual impairments improved in all the cases after transsphenoidal surgery. Spontaneous reduction in tumor volume was observed in eight patients (29%). No independent predictors for increase or decrease in tumor volume could be found by regression analysis. Conclusion: Observation alone is a safe alternative for transsphenoidal surgery in selected NFMA patients, without the risk of irreversibly compromising visual function. European Journal of Endocrinology 156 217-224

We assessed the value of postoperative plasma cortisol concentrations to predict cure and recurrence of Cushing's disease after transsphenoidal surgery (TS). Seventy-eight of 80 consecutive patients treated by TS for Cushing's disease were evaluated. TS cured 72% (n = 56) of the patients. Two weeks after surgery, patients with plasma cortisol levels below 138 nmol/liter (n = 50; three macroadenomas) and eight (27%) of 30 patients (nine macroadenomas) with cortisol greater than 138 nmol/liter were cured. Six (five with a macroadenoma) of these eight patients had cortisol values less than 50 nmol/liter 3 months after surgery. Therefore, the optimal cut-off value of cortisol predicting remission was 138 nmol/liter, measured 3 months after surgery (positive and negative predictive values 87 and 90%, respectively). Five patients (9%) had recurrent Cushing's disease during a median follow-up of 7 yr. Recurrence occurred in four of 24 (17%) patients with a follow-up of more than 10 yr. Therefore, cortisol levels above 138 nmol/liter, obtained 2 wk after TS, should be repeated, because they do not predict persistent Cushing's disease in 27% of those patients. Postoperative cortisol levels do not positively predict recurrence of disease during long-term follow-up of initially cured patients.

Objective: The authors determined the prevalence of incisional hernia and nerve entrapment in patients with a low transverse Pfannenstiel incision.Summary Background Data: The literature on the Pfannenstiel incision suggests an incisional hernia rate of 0.0% to 0.5%. However, in these series, physical examination, which is essential in the authors' view, was not performed. To the authors' knowledge, the prevalence of nerve entrapment after the Pfannenstiel incision is not known or has never been published.Methods: All adult women, operated on between 1986 and 1992 using a Pfannenstiel incision and not having had another lower abdominal incision other than for laparoscopy, were invited for followup at the outpatient department. All patients were interviewed and subjected to a physical examination, with special interest to the presence of incisional hernia or nerve entrapment.Results: In patients having had a Pfannenstiel incision, no incisional hernias were found. In patients also having had a laparoscopy, the incisional hernia rate was 3.5%. Nerve entrapment was found in 3.7%. The length of the incision was identified as a risk factor (p = 0.02).Conclusions: Incisional hernia is a rare complication of the Pfannenstiel incision. Complications of nerve damage, however, are not uncommon and should be recognized. When possible, nerves should be identified and preserved, especially when extending the incision more laterally. Incisional hernias occur in at least 10% of patients with midline laparotomies.1 Patients with an incisional hernia often report an aesthetic appearance or suffer from discomfort, pain, or, occasionally, intestinal obstruction.2 Moreover, after first incisional hernia repair, recurrence rates up to 53% have been described.3 Therefore, preventing an incisional hernia is mandatory, and surgical methods should be developed and used to lower the incidence of incisional hernias.In 1900, Hermann Johannes Pfannenstiel (18621909) described a low transverse abdominal incision to prevent incisional hernia.4,5 The incision that bears his name is the incision of choice for a variety of gynecologic operations.610 An aesthetically more pleasing "bikiniline" scar 5,6,8,11,12 and less postoperative complications 58,13 are mentioned as additional advantages of this technique. Nerve entrapment, however, can be a disadvantage.1418 In general surgery, a midline incision generally is used.In this study, we evaluate the prevalence of incisional hernia and nerve entrapment after the Pfannenstiel incision in a large series. PATIENTS AND METHODSAll adult women, operated on between 1986 and 1992 using a Pfannenstiel incision (Department of Gynecology, University Hospital Rotterdam) and not having had another lower abdominal incision other than for laparoscopy, were invited for followup at the outpatient department. The following data were noted: date of birth, date of operation, height, weight, presence of cough or constipation or both, incision length, postoperative complications (woundinfection, hematoma), posto...