Identification and Management of Intra-operative Suspicious Tissues in 20 Transsphenoidal Surgery Cases

Objecitve To determine appropriate protocols for the identification and management of intra-operative suspicious tissues during transsphenoidal surgery. Methods Clinical data and pathological reports of 20 patients with intra-operative suspicious tissues during transsphenoidal surgeries were analyzed retrospectively. The methods for discriminating between adenoma and normal pituitary tissues were reviewed. Results The postoperative pathological reports revealed that adenoma and normal pituitary tissues coexisted in 9 samples, while 5 samples were identified as normal pituitary tissues, 2 as adenoma tissues, and 4 as other tissues. Adenomas were distinguished from normal pituitary tissues on the basis of intra-operative appearance, texture, blood supply and possible existence of boundary. Conclusion If decisions are difficult to made during surgeries from the appearance of the suspicious tissues, pathological examinations are advised as a guidance for the next steps.