Chronic rhinosinusitis as a risk factor for intracranial and extracranial complications after endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery

Reporting of Participants' Sex, Race, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Status in Pituitary Surgery Literature

Introduction  Social determinants of health (SDOH) are associated with differential outcomes after pituitary tumor treatment. However, the specific impact of SDOH is not well characterized. One reason may be the lack of collection and reporting of sociodemographic variables in the literature. This study aims to evaluate the frequency of reporting and distribution of participants' sex, race, ethnicity, income, and education level within pituitary surgery literature. We will compare the reported clinical research population demographics to the 2020 U.S. census. Methods  A systematic review was performed by searching PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases for pituitary surgery clinical research published between July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. We excluded studies that lacked a comparison group, were not original research (i.e., systematic reviews, meta-analysis), or included national databases and registry data. Results  The final analysis included 92 studies. A total of 99% of studies collected data on subject sex. On average 49% (range: 14-100%) of study populations were male. Only 4% ( n  = 4) studies included racial demographic data. Two studies included information on participants' ethnicity and two included education background. No studies included income or insurance data. Four U.S. studies included demographic distribution, and the reported race and ethnicity percentages are similar to the U.S. 2020 census distribution. Conclusion  Most clinical pituitary research collects and reports data on participant sex. However, very few studies collect and report data on other sociodemographic variables that can play a role in outcomes. The lack of sociodemographic information in clinical research literature makes it difficult to determine the role of SDOH on pituitary surgery outcomes.

Intracranial aspergilloma mimicking metachronous meningioma following transsphenoidal removal of a tuberculum sellae meningioma: illustrative case

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery (eTSS) is a well-established approach for resection of skull-based pathologies such as tuberculum sellae meningiomas; however, central nervous system (CNS) fungal infection is a potential complication, particularly in a patient with concomitant sinusitis.

OBSERVATIONS

A 58-year-old woman with a tuberculum sellae meningioma causing progressive visual disturbance and concurrent asymptomatic chronic maxillary sinusitis underwent eTSS. Six months later, a de novo dura-based mass with peripheral edema, which was assumed to be an aggressive metachronous meningioma, developed in the middle cranial fossa. The patient underwent frontotemporal craniotomy for complete resection of the lesion, and subsequent histological examination revealed an aspergilloma. She was then treated with an antifungal agent and endoscopic sinus surgery to clear the sinusitis, and no recurrent fungal infection occurred thereafter.

LESSONS

CNS fungal infections may appear as a dura-based mass mimicking meningioma. The current case reiterates the importance of the appropriate management of sinusitis prior to eTSS.