Clinical characteristics
The demographics, radiological features and endocrine functions are summarised in Table 1. The mean ages of the transseptal and transnasal group were 59.2 ± 14.6 and 56.3 ± 15.8 years old. There were 11 male and 14 female subjects in the transseptal group, and 14 male and 11 female subjects in the transnasal group. Age and sex were not significantly different between the two groups.
The mean tumor size in the transseptal group was 2.36 ± 0.79 cm, while that in the transnasal group was 2.32 ± 0.86 cm. The numbers of lesions classified by Hardy classification from I to IV were 0 (0%), 12 (48%), 9 (36%) and 4 (16%) in the transseptal group and 4 (16%), 9 (36%), 10 (40%) and 2 (8%) in the transnasal group. The number of tumors with regional invasiveness, that is, parasellar, suprasellar and infrasellar extension, were 23 (92%), 21 (84%), and 4 (16%), respectively, in the transseptal group and 19 (76%), 19 (76%), and 10 (40%), respectively, in the transnasal group. None of the radiological features were significantly different between the two groups.
Preoperative hypopituitarism was noted only in 4 (16%) patients in both groups. Five (20%) patients in the transseptal group and 9 (36%) patients in the transnasal group had hypersecretion of hormones. The preoperative hormonal statuses and the distribution of hypersecreting hormones were not significantly different between the two groups.