Clinical features, radiological profiles, pathological features and surgical outcomes of pituicytomas: a report of 11 cases and a pooled analysis of individual patient data

Abstract

Background: Pituicytoma is an extremely rare low-grade glial tumor that is closely related to the neurohypophysis axis. Most studies of pituicytomas include only several cases. To better understand this disease, we reviewed a series of cases of pituicytomas. The diagnosis and treatment of pituicytoma must be further elucidated.Methods: Eleven patients with pituicytoma admitted to Beijing Tiantan Hospital from 2012 to 2019 were selected. The clinical features, including radiological and histological examination, surgical records and prognosis were reviewed. Sixty-eight other previously published cases of pituicytoma also were used to analyze the predictive factors for the results.Results: Our cohort included 4 males (36.37%) and 7 females (63.63%), with a mean age of 48.6 years. The tumor was located in the suprasellar region in 4 patients (36.37%), intrasellar region in 5 patients (45.45%), and intrasellar-suprasellar region in 2 patients (18.18%). All patients were misdiagnosed with other common tumors in the sellar region before the operation. During the operation, gross total resection of the tumor was achieved in 6 patients (54.55%), and subtotal resection was achieved in 5 patients (45.45%). The mean progression-free survival time was 33.72 months. Tumor progression after surgical resection occurred in 4 patients (36.37%). Among them, 72.73% of the patients with subtotal resection experienced progression, while 18.18% of the patients with gross total resection experienced progression. Combined with the 68 cases in the literature, gross total resection was an independent risk factor for progression-free survival time (P<0.05).Conclusion: Pituicytomas are more common in middle-aged people and in the sellar region. The clinical manifestations of pituicytomas are different, but no diagnostic clinical features have been identified other than an abnormally abundant blood supply. Currently, gross total resection is the best approach for the treatment of pituicytomas. More patients and longer follow-up periods were needed to further elucidate the biological features of pituicytomas.