Pituitary adenoma and visual function. The prognostic value of clinical, ophthalmological and neuroradiologic findings in 51 patients subjected to operation.

The series studied included 51 patients subjected to operation for pituitary adenoma. The visual status was analysed both pre- and postoperatively. The pre- and postoperative parameters were compared with clinical information, ophthalmological and neuroradiological findings with a view to an evaluation of their prognostic value. In 36 patients with chromophobe adenoma, visual field defects were present in 92% before the operation; visual function improved in 62% and returned to normal in 24%. Among 15 patients with eosinophil or mixed adenoma, only two (13%) had visual field defects pre-operatively. In those patients where operation was followed by a distinct visual improvement, the pre-operative ophthalmological findings were as follows: visual acuity greater than 6/24, normal optic discs, visual field defects up to two quadrants, and pneumoencephalographic findings suggestive of only a small suprasellar tumour.