Preoperative HRQoL predicts postoperative olfactory performance in patients undergoing endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenoma

Objectives The relation of objective measures of olfactory function and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with pituitary adenoma after endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery is not well investigated yet. We examined HRQoL of pituitary adenoma patients pre- and postsurgery, in addition to olfactory performance as an objective measure of sinonasal health. Methods Thirty patients with pituitary adenoma were included in this prospective observational study. They completed the Sniffin’ Sticks test as well as measures of HRQoL before and after bi-nostril endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery. Results Olfactory performance and HRQoL were correlated in the physical (r s =0.462, p=0.010) but not in the psychological HRQoL domain. While psychological HRQoL tended to ameliorate after surgery (Z=−1.94, p=0.052), physical HRQoL did not. Preoperative physical HRQoL predicted olfactory performance after surgery with an explained variance of 24.9 %, representing a moderate to strong effect; age did not significantly add to the explained variance. Conclusions In our study, physical HRQoL before surgery of pituitary adenomas as a subjective measure of well-being was highly relevant for objective sinonasal outcome. This finding reinforces the value of preoperative HRQoL assessment as a predictor of postoperative patient health, adding to the benefits of minimally invasive surgical techniques.