True health infuses positive energy in the mind, body and spirit; it is a main focus in my life.
-Maximillian Degenerez
PNA Spotlight: Dr. Bernard Bendok
In July, the PNA Spotlight focuses on Dr. Bernard Bendok, a neurosurgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona. Dr. Bendok earned his M.D. at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine. He also was an intern and a Resident there. He board certified in Neurological Surgery and specialized in minimally invasive neurosurgery. His PNA directory listing is here. He was kind enough to answer a series of questions from the PNA. His answers follow:
PNA Medical Corner: The Endoscopic Endonasal Transtuberculum Approach
This month the PNA Medical Corner features an article co-authored by Juan C Fernandez-Miranda at Stanford University, a member of the PNA. The article looks at what is necessary for a successful resection of a pediatric tuberoinfundibular craniopharyngioma using the endoscopic endonasal transtuberculum approach.
Featured News and Updates
News Articles October 2026
Pituitary story: teen battles craniopharyngioma
A story in the Yakima Herald spotlights the case of a high school student from Washington State who underwent surgery for a craniopharyngioma near his pituitary gland. Read more:
Germ cell tumors masquerading as pituitary inflammation
A new study from China looks at germ cell tumors in adults and concludes that they can often be mistaken for pituitary inflammation. Read more: https://bioengineer.org/rare-brain-germ-cell-tumors-in-adults-often-masquerade-as-pituitary-inflammation-study-finds/
Pituitary story: 82-year-old undergoes pituitary neurosurgery
A hospital in Srinagar, India, reports on a high-risk surgery on an 82-year-old female patient to remove a pituitary macroadenoma. Read more: https://kashmirconvener.com/82-year-old-woman-undergoes-high-risk-pituitary-tumour-surgery-at-paras-srinagar/
Child in Ukraine receives donation of pituitary medicine
The nonprofit Direct Relief reports on the case of a 12-year-old boy in Ukraine with pituitary dwarfism who has received growth hormone medications, thanks to charitable donations. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has severely disrupted medical supplies in that country. Read more: https://www.directrelief.org/2026/09/ukraine-war-children-growth-hormone-donations/
Case study: Craniopharyngioma linked to spontaneous singing
A story in Medical Daily.com looks at the case of a woman in Poland with a craniopharyngioma whose symptoms included a spontaneous desire to sing religious songs. The symptom subsided after surgical intervention, but then returned.
https://www.medicaldaily.com/brain-lesions-spirituality-circuit-religious-singing-tumor-479227
The FDA has approved NGENLA (somatrogon-ghla)
The FDA has approved NGENLA (somatrogon-ghla), a once-weekly, human growth hormone analog indicated for treatment of pediatric patients aged three years and older who have growth failure due to an inadequate secretion of endogenous growth hormone.
Research Articles
Research Articles October 2026
Pituitary Tumors
Emerging insights into the pathophysiology of pituitary tumour microenvironment.
Fuentes-Fayos AC, Gil-Duque I, De la Rosa-Herencia AS, Sarmento-Cabral A, Flores-Martínez Á, Cano DA, Martínez-Fuentes AJ, Luque RM.Endocr Relat Cancer. 2026 Aug 26:ERC-26-0262. doi: 10.1530/ERC-26-0262. Online ahead of print.
Imaging
Ahmed F.J Imaging Inform Med. 2026 Aug 28. doi: 10.1007/s10278-026-02221-6. Online ahead of print.PMID: 42665755
Magnetic resonance elastography of brain tumors.
Koyuncu N, Uca YO, Sack I.Z Med Phys. 2026 Aug 28:S0939-3889(26)00093-0. doi: 10.1016/j.zemedi.2026.08.001. Online ahead of print.
Pituitary Surgery
Tian L, Liu M, Luo M, Zhou C, Gu J, Zeng J, Shen Q, Tong Z, Jiang Y, Luo B, Lin J, Sheng Z, Peng Y.Neurosurg Rev. 2026 Aug 28;49(1):542. doi: 10.1007/s10143-026-04467-8.
ERAS Protocol Elements and Neurosurgery-Specific Considerations: A Narrative Review.
Domi R, Saxena S, Berger-Estilita J, Biasucci DG, Meco BC, Lilaj K, Huti G, Matot I, Rubulotta F, Camilleri Podesta AM.Turk J Anaesthesiol Reanim. 2026 Aug 28;54(4):248-261. doi: 10.4274/TJAR.2026.2606.
Xu Y, Uchida T, Burgos-Sosa E, Alvarez AS, Rinaldi M, Nakase T, Banu MA, Agostini L, Xiao L, Vigo V, Nisson PL, Menaker SA, Cohen-Gadol AA, Fernandez-Miranda JC.J Neurosurg. 2026 Aug 28:1-13. doi: 10.3171/2026.4.JNS252898. Online ahead of print.
Editor’s note: Dr. Fernandez-Miranda is a member of the PNA.
SurgAnt-ViVQA: learning to anticipate surgical events through GRU-driven temporal cross-attention.
Dhake SC, Huang J, He R, Khan DZ, Mazomenos EB, Bano S, Marcus HJ, Stoyanov D, Clarkson MJ, Hoque MI.Int J Comput Assist Radiol Surg. 2026 Aug 26. doi: 10.1007/s11548-026-03784-z. Online ahead of print.
Javidialsaadi M, Obillo A, Germanwala A, Ghannad AS, Jani RH, Ng I, Prabhu VC, Patel CR, Germanwala AV.Case Rep Neurol Med. 2026 Aug 25;2026:1964813. doi: 10.1155/crnm/1964813. eCollection 2026.
Extent of resection and craniopharyngioma recurrence: a volumetric analysis.
Sarkar S, Vijayaraghavan S, Thakar S, Aryan S.J Neurooncol. 2026 Aug 29;179(2):65. doi: 10.1007/s11060-026-05770-6.
Liang W, Xia X, Fan K, Yang T, Cheng J, Zhu X, Li Y, Wang J, Ma Y, Yang Y.Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2026 Aug 13;17:1796777. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2026.1796777. eCollection 2026.
Acromegaly
Rockwell S, Boley JS, Pulido N, Safa M, Chertman LS.Cureus. 2026 Jul 28;18(7):e113532. doi: 10.7759/cureus.113532. eCollection 2026 Jul.
Acromegaly and colorectal cancer risk: emerging roles of the gut microbiota.
Grifoni GFA, Favero V, Cozzi RC, Chiodini I.Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2026 Aug 13;17:1820034. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2026.1820034. eCollection 2026.
Sakaue TA, Mukai K, Kajimoto Y, Obata Y, Takahara M, Shimomura I.JCEM Case Rep. 2026 Aug 28;4(9):luag163. doi: 10.1210/jcemcr/luag163. eCollection 2026 Sep.PMID: 42666735
Hormonal Health
Cretu AM, Kamar AAM, Ciobica A, Puia D, Doroftei M, Doroftei B.Front Reprod Health. 2026 Aug 14;8:1914709. doi: 10.3389/frph.2026.1914709. eCollection 2026.
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