Effects of a chronic treatment with octreotide in patients with functionless pituitary adenomas

Bartolomeo Merola, Annamaria Colao, Diego Ferone, Antonello Selleri, Antonella Di Sarno, Paolo Marzullo, Bernadette Biondi, Renato Spazinate, Emanuela Rossi, Gaetano Lombardi

Risultato della ricerca: Contributo su rivistaArticolo in rivistapeer review

Abstract

The effects of a chronic treatment with octreotide were evaluated in 19 patients affected with functionless pituitary adenomas. Octreotide caused a significant decrease of GH and IGF-I levels in all the patients and no significant change in thyroid, adrenal and gonadal function. In contrast, during the therapy, the glucose response to an oral glucose tolerance test considerably increased and was delayed, while the insulin response decreased and was delayed. Serum a-subunit (α-SU) was above normal in 10 of 16 patients in which this evaluation was performed: octreotide caused a significant decrease (p < 0.01) of a-SU levels in 6 of these 10 patients. Octreotide did not induce any significant change in visual fields except in 1 patient, who had a great improvement of visual perimetry and a decrease of α-SU levels but unmodified CT scan features. In our series of patients, octreotide was ineffective in reducing tumor mass. The efficacy of octreotide might rely on the presence of somatostatin receptors on adenoma-cell membranes. Therefore patients with functionless adenomas to be treated with octreotide might be identified with pituitary scintiscan using the recently available labeled111In-octreotide.

Lingua originaleInglese
pagine (da-a)149-155
Numero di pagine7
RivistaHormone Research in Paediatrics
Volume40
Numero di pubblicazione4
DOI
Stato di pubblicazionePubblicato - 1993
Pubblicato esternamente

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