Medical treatment of pituitary adenomas.

The main indication for medical treatment of the secretory pituitary adenom as is macroprolactinoma. In this case, bromocriptine therapy obtains better results than surgery, by a life-long administration. New dopaminergic drug s with better tolerance and a longer half-life than bromocriptine will prob ably improve compliance to treatment. Besides, somatostatin analogs, especi ally the slowly-released preparations, administrated once or twice per mont h, often obtain normalization of hormonal production in GH (growth hormone) or TSH (thyrotropin) secreting adenomas after surgical failure and are use d in complement to radiotherapy.