Clinically relevant pituitary adenomas: an epidemiological study from a single-center perspective.

Pituitary adenomas (PA) are a heterogeneous group of central nervous system lesions that are mostly benign. They account for 13.5-20% of all primary brain tumors, and their incidence is rising. We retrospectively analyzed patients with PA to determine the specific epidemiological characteristics, focusing specifically on a series of surgically resected PA. We analyzed all patients diagnosed with PA (n = 1111) and hospitalized in the Department of Endocrinology, Poznan, Poland, between 2018-2023, with a special focus on clinically relevant PA qualified for transsphenoidal surgery (n = 194). Clinical history, demographic characteristics, tumor features, and diagnostic results were reviewed. The incidence of PA was defined as a new diagnosis of PA. We identified 1111 patients newly diagnosed with PA, 403 males (36.3%) and 708 females (63.7%), with an annual incidence rate of 4.11/100 000 population. Women were diagnosed at a younger age (P <0.001). In the group qualified for surgery (n = 194), the most common diagnosis was non-functioning PA (NFPA) (76%). Men were diagnosed with an NFPA significantly more often (P = 0.02) and with larger tumors (P = 0.005). Patients with NFPA were older at diagnosis (P <0.001). Although 90% of the patients were diagnosed with multimorbidity and over half with polypharmacy, we did not find any association between comorbidities and the tumor type. Although most PA were diagnosed in women, clinically relevant tumors were more frequent in men. Male patients were diagnosed with NFPA significantly more often than women, and the tumor size was larger at presentation.