Clinical Features, Radiological Profiles, Pathological Features and Surgical Outcomes of Pituicytomas: A Report of 16 Cases and a Pooled Analysis of Individual Patient Data

Abstract Background: Pituicytomas are rare neurogenic tumors of the sellar region.The diagnosis and treatment of pituicytoma needs to be further elucidated.Patients and Methods: This research included 16 patients with pituicytomas that were pathologically diagnosed in Tiantan Hospital from 2012 to 2019. And 68 other previously published cases of pituicytoma to analyze the predictive factors of the results.Results: Our cohort included 7 males (43.75%) and 9 females (56.25%), with a mean age of 49 years. The tumor was located in the suprasellar in 7 cases (43.75%), intrasellar in 6 cases (37.5%), and intrasellar-suprasellar mixed in 3 cases (18.75%). All patients were misdiagnosed with other common tumors in the sellar region before the operation. During the operation, gross total resection (GTR) of the tumor was achieved in 9 cases (56.25%) and subtotal resection (STR) in 7 cases (43.75%). The mean progression-free survival time (PFS) was 34.63 months. Tumor progression after surgical resection occurred in 5 patients (31.25%). Among them, 57.14% of the patients with STR had progression, while 11.11% of the patients with GTR had progression. Combined with 68 cases in the literature, it was found that GTR was an independent risk factor for PFS(P<0.05). Conclusions: Pituicytomas are more common in middle-aged people and the suprasellar region. The clinical manifestations of pituicytomas are different, there are no diagnostic clinical features, and its blood supply is abnormally abundant. Currently, GTR is the best approach for the treatment of pituicytomas.