PNA Highlights December 2023

PNA Spotlight: Dr. Juan Fernandez-Miranda

This month the PNA Spotlight focuses on Dr. Juan Carlos Fernandez-Miranda, a Professor of Neurosurgery and the Surgical Director of Brain Tumor, Skull Base and Pituitary Centers at Stanford University. Dr. Fernandez-Miranda did a neurosurgery residency at La Paz University Hospital in Madrid, Spain. He completed a fellowship in microsurgical neuroanatomy at the University of Florida. He did clinical training in cerebrovascular surgery at the University of Virginia, and in endoscopic endonasal and open skull base surgery at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). He joined the faculty at Stanford earlier this year. He was kind enough to answer some questions from the PNA. His answers are below:

Count on your Xeris CareConnection™ Team for unparalleled Cushing’s Support

Cushing’s can be challenging, but there is support so patients can feel like themselves again. The main goal of treating Cushing’s is to get cortisol levels back to normal. This Pituitary Awareness Month, Xeris Pharmaceuticals® is highlighting the importance of one-on-one support for patients living with Cushing’s Syndrome and support for HCPs treating Cushing’s Syndrome.

Sign up to get dedicated support:

Have more questions? Call for more support at 1-844-444-RCLV (7258)

PNA Medical Corner: Cushing Disease and Double Pituitary Adenoma

This month in the PNA Medical Corner we focus on a study coauthored by two members of the PNA: Drs. Adriana Ioachimescu and Nathan Zwagerman. The research is a case study of a woman with two pituitary tumors.

Consecutive resections of double pituitary adenoma for resolution of Cushing disease: illustrative case

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.