Life Activities of Elderly Patients With Operated Nonfunctional Pituitary Adenoma

Abstract

Aim To evaluate the clinical findings of nonfunctional pituitary adenomas (NFA) in the geriatric population, functional status, cognitive function, quality of life and frailty. Material-Method We evaluated operated NFA cases aged 65 years and older followed up in our clinic between 2010 and 2022. Patients seen in the geriatric outpatient clinic with a diagnosis of hypertension and diabetes mellitus were included in the study as a control group. Bioimpedance was used to assess muscle strength, walking speed, and muscle to fat ratio in patients. In addition, quality of life, anxiety, depression, cognitive function, and frailty were assessed. Results The study included 43 patients with NFA and 60 patients with hypertension (HT) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) diagnoses. The mean age, sex ratios and body mass index (BMI) of the patients with NFA and the control group diagnosed with HT and type 2 DM were similar (age: 70.9±0.66; 73.1±0.8 (p=0,6), FM /M: 24/19, 35/25 (p=0.1) and BMI:28.3±3.9/28.5±4.8 (p=0.9), respectively). Cognition status (MMT: 28;29, p=0.002), frailty scores (2[2-3]; 1[1-2], M[IQR], p<0.001), sarcopenia rates (62%; 30%, p=0.007) was worse in patients with NFA. Conclusion In the study comparing patients diagnosed with surgical pituitary NFA with patients of similar age and comorbidity, the frailty score and rate of sarcopenia were higher and their cognition was worse. Complications arising from surgical and postoperative treatment of patients with pituitary NFA make geriatric patients more frail. We emphasize that patients with NFA in this age group should be examined more carefully.