Visual outcome after transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenomas

We have reviewed the records of 53 patients with visual impairment secondary to pituitary macroadenomas and studied the visual outcome after surgery. After transsphenoidal procedures visual field defects improved in 89% of the patients and visual acuity improved in 82%. There were 13 cases of acute symptomatic intratumoural haemorrhage (pituitary apoplexy) in this series. After surgery, visual defects improved in all these cases even when the delay between the onset of symptoms and surgery was long.