PNA Highlights April 2023 | Pituitary Network Association - International non-profit organization for patients with pituitary tumors and disorders

PNA Spotlight: Dr. Adriana G. Ioachimescu

This month the PNA Spotlight focuses on Adriana G. Ioachimescu, MD, PhD, FACE Professor of Medicine (Division of Endocrinology and Molecular Medicine) and Neurosurgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin, a lifetime professional member of the PNA.
Dr. Ioachimescu was a Professor of Medicine in Endocrinology and Neurosurgery at the Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Ioachimescu was also co-director and co-founder of the Emory Neuroendocrine Pituitary Center and a consulting editor at Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics. Previously she worked at Carol Davila University in Bucharest, Romania, and at the Cleveland Clinic.

Dr. Ioachimescu was born in Bucharest, Romania and earned her PhD in Neuroendocrinology from Carol Davila University of Medicine. She completed an internship in internal medicine at Danbury Hospital and then a fellowship in Endocrinology at the Cleveland Clinic. She did residencies in internal medicine at Carol Davila University, Yale University and the Cleveland Clinic.

Dr. Ioachimescu was kind enough to respond to a few questions from the PNA:

PNA Medical Corner: Machine Learning and Pituitary Surgery

An article co-authored by multiple members of the PNA (Including Drs. Samson, Chaichana, and Quinones-Hinojosa) looks at the role of machine learning in forecasting outcomes of pituitary surgery. They conclude that it is not ready yet as no model achieved clinical applicability.

Abstract

Background: The complex nature and heterogeneity involving pituitary surgery results have increased interest in machine learning (ML) applications for prediction of outcomes over the last decade. This study aims to systematically review the characteristics of ML models involving pituitary surgery outcome prediction and assess their reporting quality.

Methods: We searched the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Knowledge databases for publications on the use of ML to predict pituitary surgery outcomes.

News Articles February 2025

Pituitary journey: woman learns to slow down while facing melanoma, pituitary inflammation

Blogger Amanda Goodwin is a hard-charging businesswoman, who was forced to slow down and “embrace the sick” as she battled melanoma in her lungs, liver and brain, and suffered from inflammation of the pituitary. Read more here: https://substack.com/home/post/p-156259244?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Study: Cushing’s patients develop cataracts at younger ages

An article in Cushing’s Disease News examines a study published in Graefe’s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, that finds that Cushing’s patients are at higher risk of developing cataracts at a younger age compared to non-Cushing’s patients. They developed them at an average age of 48.1. Patients with Cushing’s Syndrome “being 34% more likely to develop cataracts than the general population. For those with Cushing’s disease, the risk was 39% higher.” Read more: https://cushingsdiseasenews.com/news/cushings-patients-higher-risk-developing-cataracts-younger-age/

Pituitary Journey: British celebrity astrologer recounts battle with pituitary tumor

Russell Grant, a celebrity astrologer in the U.K. who competed on the show “Strictly Come Dancing” recounts his battle with a pituitary tumor, diabetes, and now vision issues. Read more: https://tinyurl.com/44zujvkm

Houston Hospital gets $2 million in donations for pituitary research

Houston Methodist hospital announced it has commitments to receive 2 million dollars to support its Kenneth R. Peak Brain & Pituitary Treatment Center. $1.5 million comes from the Henry J.N. Taub Foundation and is paired with an anonymous $500,000 donation. Read more: https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/houston-methodist-receives-1.5-million-for-brain-pituitary-research

Pituitary Tumors

Etiology, presentation, and outcomes of hyperprolactinemia due to pituitary masses in children and adolescents.

Kilci F, Sarikaya E, Murat NÖ, Deniz A.Endocrine. 2025 Feb 2. doi: 10.1007/s12020-025-04176-0. Online ahead of print.

Conservative medical therapy for a macroprolactinoma presenting with obstructive hydrocephalus.

Cuaño PMGM, Isip-Tan IT, Chan KIP.BMJ Case Rep. 2025 Jan 31;18(1):e261540. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2024-261540.

Individual management and prognostic assessment for long-term outcomes using a novel classification system of craniopharyngiomas: a retrospective study of single institution.

Zhang S, Xie B, He Y, Zhang X, Gong G, Li M, Chen Y, Tang G, Zhang C, Qin C, Liu Q.J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 2025 Jan 31;151(2):57. doi: 10.1007/s00432-025-06104-1.

Mental Health and Pituitary Issues

Psychological burden in patients with sellar masses under conservative and surgical management.

Kalasauskas D, Ernst A, Mireri S, Keric N, Thavarajasingam SG, Omran W, Wüster C, Ringel F, Conrad J.Neurosurg Rev. 2025 Jan 30;48(1):104. doi: 10.1007/s10143-025-03240-7.

Social functioning longitudinal trajectory and its predictors in young and middle-aged postoperative pituitary tumor patients: A growth mixture model.

Zhou Y, Qian M, Wang S, Zhou X, Zhou M, Gu Z, Sun M, Yang T.Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2025 Jan 28;74:102815. doi: 10.1016/j.ejon.2025.102815. Online ahead of print.

Pituitary Surgery

Giant and irregular pituitary neuroendocrine tumors surgery: comparison of simultaneous combined endoscopic endonasal and transcranial and purely endoscopic endonasal surgery at a single center.

Fu J, Luo W, Zhang C, Wang Z, Fan W, Lin Y, Kang D, Song J, Jiang C, Yan X.Chin Neurosurg J. 2025 Feb 3;11(1):3. doi: 10.1186/s41016-025-00389-4.PMID: 39894800

Modified graded skull base reconstruction for intraoperative CSF leak repair in endoscopic endonasal surgeries: a single-surgeon experience in initial years of practice and nuances in the early learning curve.

Khaleghi M, Shahid AH, Suggala S, Dyess G, Hummel UN, Chason DN, Butler D, Thakur JD.Neurosurg Focus. 2025 Feb 1;58(2):E6. doi: 10.3171/2024.11.FOCUS24733.

Does the crafted abdominal fat grafting technique completely eliminate risk of postoperative CSF leak in endonasal pituitary surgery? Technical note and preliminary clinical outcome.

Lasica N, Lesha E, Beckfort NS, Arnautovic KI.Neurosurg Focus. 2025 Feb 1;58(2):E3. doi: 10.3171/2024.11.FOCUS24665.

Multicenter study on 2-year outcomes of dual application of hydroxyapatite cranioplasty and a nasoseptal flap following endoscopic endonasal surgery for tuberculum sellae meningiomas or craniopharyngiomas.

Kong DS, Kim YH, Hong SD, Ryu G, Kim JH, Hong CK, Kim YH.Neurosurg Focus. 2025 Feb 1;58(2):E2. doi: 10.3171/2024.11.FOCUS24624.

Risk Factors for Development of Diabetes Insipidus and Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone Secretion after Transsphenoidal Resection of Pituitary Adenoma.

Petito G, Hu A, Zhang G, Min S, Tripathi SH, Kumar A, Shukla G, Shah S, Phillips KM, Jana S, Forbes JA, Zuccarello M, Andaluz NO, Sedaghat AR.J Neurol Surg B Skull Base. 2024 Feb 2;86(1):39-45. doi: 10.1055/a-2235-7419. eCollection 2025 Feb.PMID: 39881750

Cushing’s

Performance of Vasopressin Stimulated Bilateral Inferior Petrosal Sinus Sampling in Corticotropin Dependent Cushing’s Syndrome with Negative or Equivocal 3 Tesla Contrast Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Pituitary.

Shivnani P, Kasliwal R, Goyal G, Sharma J, Balani U, Gupta P, Sharma BS, Yadav D, Mishra V, Sharma SK.Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2024 Nov-Dec;28(6):589-595. doi: 10.4103/ijem.ijem_60_24. Epub 2024 Dec 30.

Hormonal health

The hypothalamus and pituitary gland regulate reproduction and are involved in the development of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Long BY, Liao X, Liang X.Neuroendocrinology. 2025 Jan 31:1-26. doi: 10.1159/000543877. Online ahead of print.

Cabergoline-induced NDFIP1 upregulation in pituitary neuroendocrine tumor cells activates mTOR signaling and contributes to cabergoline resistance.

Gu W, Zhang W, Wu Z, Cai Y.J Neurooncol. 2025 Feb 1. doi: 10.1007/s11060-025-04949-7. Online ahead of print.