The winners in life treat their body as if it were a magnificent spacecraft that gives them the finest transportation and endurance for their lives.
-Denis Waitley
PNA Spotlight: Dr. William Couldwell
This month the PNA Spotlight focuses on William Couldwell, MD, PhD, who serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Utah. He is also a member of the PNA’s Scientific Advisory Panel. He studied at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, majoring in physical chemistry and biology. Dr. Couldwell attended medical school at McGill University in Montreal. He did internship in surgery at the University of Southern California and completed a neurosurgical residency there in 1989. He served as a research fellow in neuroimmunology at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital and research fellow in the neurosurgical service in Lausanne, Switzerland. He returned to U-S-C as an assistant professor of neurological surgery in 1991, where he stayed for four years. Later he became professor and chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery at New York Medical College, as well as program director of neurosurgical residency in 1997. In 2001 he became professor and chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Utah. Dr. Couldwell was kind enough to answer some questions from the PNA. His answers follow.
PNA Medical Corner: Fascia Lata in Reconstructive Neurosurgery
This month the PNA Medical Corner showcases an article co-authored by a member of the PNA, Dr. Varun Kshettry of the Cleveland Clinic. The study concludes that the use of fascia lata in challenging cases of skull base reconstruction is highly effective with few side effects for cases of craniopharyngioma, meningioma and more.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37081750/
Abstract
Background: Multiple methods exist for skull base reconstruction of defects created by expanded endonasal approaches. While the nasoseptal flap (NSF) has been well established as the workhorse of mucosal reconstruction in complex skull base defects in multi-layered closures, a variety of options exist for the inner layer of multilayer reconstruction, including fascia lata (FL).
Objective: To present our experience and outcomes in utilizing FL in multiple ways to reconstruct a wide variety of complex skull base defects
Featured News and Updates
News Articles August 2026
Secretary of Defense concerned about low testosterone in the military
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is mandating testing of male troops over age 30 for low testosterone and will offer testosterone replacement therapy. Many endocrinologists say this approach is problematic. Read more: https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/07/hegseth-wants-a-high-t-military-doctors-call-it-a-clinical-minefield/
The Endocrine Society issue statement in the wake of Hegseth’s announcement:
Pituitary story: Lionel Messi
Soccer mega-star Lionel Messi was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency as a child. Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-in/health/other/lionel-messi-overcame-growth-hormone-deficiency-as-a-child-a-condition-that-almost-derailed-his-football-dream/ar-AA280JJc
Vision issues in acromegaly
PNA member Dr. Maria Fleseriu is featured in an article in EverydayHealth.com about how acromegaly can affect a patient’s eyesight. Read more: https://www.everydayhealth.com/hormones-metabolic-disorders/how-acromegaly-can-affect-your-eyesight/
Delayed diagnosis of Cushing’s in Japanese children
An article in Cushing’s Disease News looks at a study that found Japanese children often face delays in diagnosis of Cushing’s disease, but many are successfully treated with surgery. Read more: https://cushingsdiseasenews.com/news/japanese-children-face-long-delays-cushings-disease-diagnosis/
Pituitary story: Idaho teen battles germinoma near pituitary gland
Delayed puberty and growth, combined with diabetes insipidus, led doctors to diagnose a 16-year-old boy from Idaho with a germ cell tumor near his pituitary gland. Read more: https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/blog/2026/07/college-bound-16-year-old-didnt-let-germinoma-get-him-down.html
Pituitary surgery story: Transsphenoidal surgery at Walter Reed
A story in the Times of India highlights the work of an Indian American pituitary surgeon at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland: Major Jagatkumar “J.” Patel, and his colleague Army neurosurgeon Lt. Col. Charles Miller. Read more: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/health/indian-american-army-surgeon-removes-golf-ball-sized-brain-tumour-through-a-patients-nose-avoiding-open-skull-surgery/amp_articleshow/132781973.cms
Experts play down the idea of “male menopause”
An article in the Kansas City Star explains that men do not experience a sharp drop-off in hormones in the same way women do; the process is more gradual. Read more: https://www.kansascity.com/living/article316673842.html
The same reporter looks at testosterone replacement therapy in an article in the Miami Herald: https://www.miamiherald.com/living/article316675898.html
Research Articles
Research Articles August 2026
Pituitary tumors
Ameen D, ElSabban Y, Kalaitzoglou D, Shapey J, Barazi S, Thomas N, Aylwin S, Maratos E.Endocrine. 2026 Aug 1;91(1):243. doi: 10.1007/s12020-026-04712-6.
Kasireddy HD, Sahu V, Sharma A, Kumar A, Shrivastava S.Indian J Ophthalmol. 2026 Aug 1;74(8):1185-1190. doi: 10.4103/IJO.IJO_215_26. Epub 2026 Jul 31.
Case report of two growth hormone-secreting invasive pituitary adenomas and literature review.
Zhou J, Wen J, Leng H, Yi J.Arch Med Sci. 2026 Jun 23;22(3):1926-1931. doi: 10.5114/aoms/224312. eCollection 2026.
Altunyuva O, Balcin N, Ocakoglu G, Taskapilioglu MO, Yilmazlar S.Turk Neurosurg. 2026;36(4):509-516. doi: 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.49331-25.2.
Reyes JS, Hadjipanayis CG, Bernstein K, Speckter H, Gonzalez I, Chytka T, Liscak R, Bowden GN, Sumi T, Narita K, Kano H, Martínez-Moreno N, Martínez-Álvarez R, Picozzi P, Franzini A, Tripathi M, Rai A, Kumar N, Douri K, Mathieu D, Dono A, Amezquita-Contreras C, Blanco AI, Esquenazi Y, Tos SM, Mantziaris G, Peker S, Samanci Y, Duzkalir AH, Meng Y, Sheehan JP, Kondziolka D, Lunsford LD, Niranjan A.J Neurooncol. 2026 Jul 31;179(1):22. doi: 10.1007/s11060-026-05736-8.
Editor’s note: Dr. Sheehan is a member of the PNA.
Cushing’s
Annexin A1 as a diagnostic biomarker for cyclic Cushing disease.
Rao Z, Wu L, Jiang L, Su T, Cao Y, Lin S, He X, Ye Y, Ning G, Wang W, Zhang C.iScience. 2026 Jul 22;29(8):116907. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.116907. eCollection 2026 Aug 21.
Constanthin PE, Ferrière A, Sanchez-Gallardo F, Nunes ML, Berge J, Engelhardt J.J Neurosurg. 2026 Jul 31:1-9. doi: 10.3171/2026.2.JNS252331. Online ahead of print.
Detomas M, Prada Salcedo JP, Altieri B, Stüfchen I, Nasi-Kordhishti I, Wolfsberger S, Losa M, Quinkler M, Kimpel O, Vila G, Honegger JB, Rubinstein G, Fassnacht M, Deutschbein T.Eur J Endocrinol. 2026 Jul 31:lvag141. doi: 10.1093/ejendo/lvag141. Online ahead of print.
Acromegaly
Genc B, Polat SB, Koc A, Ersoy R.Pituitary. 2026 Jul 31;29(4):136. doi: 10.1007/s11102-026-01737-y.
Hormonal health
Holz EA, Imran M, Reyes N, Izquierdo-Pretel G.Cureus. 2026 Jun 30;18(6):e111830. doi: 10.7759/cureus.111830. eCollection 2026 Jun.
Alnahar S, Senjab A, Gharib S, Gharib Z, Hadid L.Clin Case Rep. 2026 Jul 29;14(8):e73261. doi: 10.1002/ccr3.73261. eCollection 2026 Aug.
A Novel LHX3 Variant Associated With Combined Pituitary Hormone Deficiency in an Indian Kindred.
Palaniappan S, Sridhar S, Thasarathan S, Shanmugam D, Dutta P.Cureus. 2026 Jun 29;18(6):e111778. doi: 10.7759/cureus.111778. eCollection 2026 Jun.
Copyright © 2024 Pituitary Network Association All rights reserved.
Disclaimer: PNA does not engage in the practice of medicine. It is not a medical authority, nor does it claim to have medical expertise. In all cases, PNA recommends that you consult your own physician regarding any course of treatment or medication.
Our mailing address is:
Pituitary Network Association
P.O. Box 1958
Thousand Oaks, CA 91358
(805) 499-9973 Phone - (805) 480-0633 Fax
Email [email protected]
You are receiving this Newsletter because you have shown interest in receiving information about our activities.
If you do not want to receive any more emails from PNA, Unsubscribe.