A Real-World Longitudinal Study in Non-Functioning Pituitary Incidentalomas: A PRECES Micro-Adenomas Sub-Analysis

Abstract

Background. Incidentalomas have an increasing incidence all over the world due to a larger access to imaging assessments, and endocrine incidentalomas make no exception in this matter, including pituitary incidentalomas (PIs). Objective. Our objective was to analyse the dynamic changes amid a second computed tomography (CT) scan after adult patients were initially confirmed with a PI (non-functioning micro-adenoma). Methods. This was a multi-centric, longitudinal, retrospective study in adults (aged between 20 and 70 y) amid real-world data collection. We excluded patients who experienced baseline pituitary hormonal excess or deficiency or those with tumours larger than 1 cm. Results. A total of 117 adults were included (94.02% females) with a mean age of 43.86 ± 11.99 years, followed between 6 and 156 months with a median (M) of 40 months (Q1 Q3: 13.50, 72.00). At the time of PI diagnosis, the transverse diameter had a mean value of 0.53 ± 0.16 cm, the longitudinal mean diameter was 0.41 ± 0.13 cm, and the largest diameter was 0.55 ± 0.16 cm. No PI became functioning during follow-up, neither associated hypopituitarism nor increased >1 cm diameter. A total of 46/117 (39.32%) patients had a larger diameter during follow-up (increase group = IG) versus a non-increase group (non-IG; N = 71, 60.68%) that included the subjects with stationary or decreased diameters. IG had lower initial transverse, longitudinal, and largest diameter versus non-IG: 0.45 ± 0.12 versus 0.57 ± 0.17 (p < 0.0001), 0.36 ± 0.11 versus 0.43 ± 0.13 (p = 0.004), respectively, 0.46 ± 0.12 versus 0.6 ± 0.16 (p < 0.0001). IG versus non-IG had a larger period of surveillance: M (Q1, Q3) of 48 (24, 84) versus 32.5 (12, 72) months (p = 0.045) and showed similar age, pituitary hormone profile, and tumour lateralisation at baseline and displayed a median diameter change of +0.14 cm versus −0.03 cm (p < 0.0001). To conclude, a rather high percent of patients might experience PI diameter increase during a longer period of follow-up, including those with a smaller initial size, while the age at diagnosis does not predict the tumour growth. This might help practitioners with further long-term surveillance protocols.