Increased frequency of cataract surgery in patients over age 50 with pituitary macroadenomas and chiasmal compression.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Patients with visual loss from macroadenomas compressing their optic apparatus may also have concomitant age-related visual pathology such as cataracts. How these two pathologies interact with each other is not well documented. OBJECTIVE: The interaction between these two pathologies in elderly patients is the subject of this study. METHODS: We identified a series of non-functioning macroadenoma patients over age 50 years with tumors compressing the chiasm who underwent transsphenoidal surgery at our institution between 2004 and 2018. Pre- and post-operative visual complaints, tumor size and extent of resection were analyzed. Prevalence of the diagnosis of cataract and prevalence of cataract surgery in each decade were compared with national averages. RESULTS: We identified 200 patients who met selection criteria. 18% of these patients had a diagnosis of cataract and 12.5% had cataract surgery. Compared with the Eye Diseases Prevalence Research Group (EDPRG) study, the prevalence of cataract surgery was 2.5 times the national average of 5.1%. 32% of these patients had no improvement in their vision after cataract surgery but 76% improved after transsphenoidal surgery. CONCLUSIONS: We reported a high prevalence of cataract surgery in patients over age 50 in patients with pituitary macroadenomas compressing the optic pathway compared with national averages in patients without adenomas. While visual loss from adenoma likely precipitated more cataract surgeries in this group of patients, some who may not have required it, those patients with cataracts who did not have their cataracts extracted were less likely to recover vision after transsphenoidal surgery. Addressing both pathologies is beneficial.