Abstract
We describe our 12-year experience in treating prolactinomas with the Leksell gamma knife (LGK). We followed 35 prolactinoma patients (25.7% microprolactinomas, 74.3% macroprolactinomas) treated with LGK irradiation.
The mean follow-up period was 75.5 months. Prior to LGK irradiation, patients were treated with DA and 10 of them (28.6%) underwent neurosurgery.
Indications for LGK irradiation were: DA intolerance (31.4%), DA resistance (45.7%) and efforts to reduce the DA dose or shorten the period of administration (22.9%). Pituitary function was monitored regularly at 6-month intervals.
The central radiation dose range was 40-80 Gy (median 70 Gy), and the minimal peripheral dose was 20-49 Gy (median 34 Gy). Normoprolactinaemia was achieved in 37.1% of the patients who discontinued DA and in 42.9% of patients who continued DA treatment after LGK irradiation.
No relapse was seen in any patient. The size of adenoma decreased even in those patients in whom it was not changed by previous DA treatment.