Stereotactic radiosurgery for pituitary adenomas

Pituitary adenoma is a radiosensitive disease and postoperative radiotherap y reduces the chance of relapse. Non-irradiated patients, followed in the m odern era, suffer up to 20% five-year and up to 44% ten-year relapse. To so me extent, predictors of relapse are available at the time of presentation or after surgery. Although conventionally fractionated radiotherapy has a v ery good track record with regard to controlling disease and safety in the modern age, there is considerable contemporary interest in the technique of radiosurgery (highly concentrated radiation therapy using stereotactic map ping). The usefulness of this technique in the treatment of pituitary adeno ma is discussed in this review.