Somatotrophic Adenoma in Children Younger than 14 Years: Clinical Features and Treatment of 22 Cases at a Large Pituitary Center.

Objective: To investigate the clinical features of somatotrophic adenoma in children younger than 14 years and to evaluate the short-term and long-term outcomes of transsphenoidal surgery.
Methods: This single-center retrospective study included 22 patients with somatotrophic adenoma who were admitted to our institution between January 1997 and January 2017. The patients' demographics, hormone levels, imaging characteristics, surgical outcomes, and follow-up data were summarized.
Results: The average age of patients at diagnosis was 10.3 years, and the average disease duration was 42.5 months. Growth acceleration was observed in 90.9% of patients. Mixed somatolactotrophic adenoma was identified in 36.4% of patients. In total, 77.3% of tumors on imaging were macroadenomas or giant adenoma, and 50% were invasive. Twenty-one patients underwent tumor resection, and the remission rate after a single transsphenoidal surgery was 45%. Preoperative growth hormone levels (P = 0.017), growth hormone nadir (P = 0.003), and tumor size (P = 0.026) were the most likely influencing factors associated with the surgical remission rate. Postoperative cerebral spinal fluid leakage (15%) was the main complication of transsphenoidal surgery. During a median follow-up period of 42.5 months, 72.7% of the patients obtained remission after monotherapy or combined treatment, and no recurrence was observed.
Conclusions: Somatotrophic adenomas in children younger than 14 years tend to be macroadenomas with a shorter disease duration than that observed in adults. Transsphenoidal surgery is safe and effective and could represent a preferred treatment option. The combination of surgery, medication, and radiation is recommended to achieve optimal long-term outcomes.
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