Diaphragm reconstruction using a TachoSil patch as alternative to intrasellar packing for small focal diaphragm defects in pituitary surgery: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: During pituitary surgery, CSF leaks are often treated by intrasellar packing, using muscle or fat grafts. However, this strategy may interfere with the interpretation of postoperative MRI and may impact the quality of resection in cases of second surgery, due to the existence of additional fibrous tissue. We present an alternative technique, using a diaphragm reconstruction with a heterologous sponge combining fibrinogen and thrombin (TachoSil), applied in selected patients with low-flow CSF leaks. This study investigates the surgical outcome of patients treated with this strategy. METHODS: From a cohort of 2231 patients treated from June 2011 to June 2023 by endoscopic endonasal approach for pituitary surgery, the surgical technique of diaphragm repair with TachoSil patch performed in 55 patients (2.6%) was detailed, and the rate of closure failure was analyzed at 6 months postoperatively. No intrasellar packing was used and sellar floor reconstruction was performed whenever possible. The rate of postoperative CSF leak was compared with that reported in three previous publications that also used the TachoSil patch technique. RESULTS: Patients were mostly women (F/M ratio: 1.2) with a median age of 53.6 years. Surgery was indicated for non-functioning adenomas, Cushing's disease, acromegaly, and Rathke's cleft cysts in 38/55 (69.1%), 6/55 (10.9%), 5/55 (9.1%) and 6/55 (10.9%) patients respectively. The rate of postoperative CSF leak was 1.8% (n = 1/55), which was not significantly different from that reported in the three cohorts from the literature (2.8%, p > 0.05). No postoperative meningitis was recorded. CONCLUSIONS: In highly selected patients with low-flow CSF leaks related to small focal diaphragm defects, diaphragm reconstruction using a TachoSil patch can be a safe and valuable alternative to intrasellar packing.

Endoscopic endonasal access to the lateral recess of the sphenoid sinus.

BACKGROUND: The standard endoscopic endonasal approach gives access to the median sphenoid sinus, but not to its lateral part. We propose an endoscopic technique for lesions in the lateral sphenoid sinus. METHOD: Based on our experience with 28 patients, we have developed a less invasive approach to the lateral recess of the sphenoid sinus, limiting the opening of the maxillary sinus while avoiding resection of the inferior turbinate and ethmoidal cells. The technique is described. CONCLUSION: The proposed endoscopic approach is reliable and safe to treat CSF leak or tumours located within the lateral recess of the sphenoid sinus.

Pituitary surgery outcome in patients 75 years and older: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: As the population ages, the number of elderly patients with an indication for pituitary surgery is rising. Information on the outcome of patients aged over 75 is limited. This study reports a large series assessing the feasibility of surgical resection in this specific age range, focusing on surgical complications and postoperative results. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of patients with pituitary adenomas and Rathke's cleft cysts was conducted. All patients were aged 75 years or over and treated by a single expert neurosurgical team. A control population included 2379 younger adult patients operated by the same surgeons during the same period. RESULTS: Between 2008 and 2022, 155 patients underwent surgery. Indication was based on vision impairment in most patients (79%). Median follow-up was 13 months (range: 3-96). The first surgery was performed with an endoscopic transsellar approach, an extended endonasal transtuberculum approach and a microscopic transcranial approach in 96%, 3%, and 1% of patients, respectively. Single surgery was sufficient to obtain volume control in 97% of patients. From Kaplan-Meier estimates, 2-year and 5-year disease control with a single surgery were 97.3% and 86.2%, respectively. Resection higher than 80% was achieved in 77% of patients. No vision worsening occurred. In acromegaly and Cushing's disease, endocrine remission was obtained in 90% of non-invasive adenomas. Surgical complications were noted in 5% of patients, with 30-day mortality, hematoma, cerebrospinal fluid leak, meningitis, and epistaxis occurring in 0.6%, 0.6%, 1.9%, 0.6%, and 1.3% respectively. New endocrine anterior deficits occurred in only 5%, while no persistent diabetes insipidus was noted. Compared with younger patients, the complication rate was not statistically different. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery beyond the age of 75, mainly relying on an endoscopic endonasal transsellar approach, is effective and safe, provided that patients are managed in tertiary centers.

Expanded endoscopic endonasal approach for the resection of midline craniopharyngiomas with hypothalamic involvement.

BACKGROUND: With relevant surrounding neurological structures and potential involvement of the hypothalamus, the surgical management of craniopharyngiomas is complex. Compared to the transcranial approach, the expanded endoscopic endonasal approach provides direct access to the supradiaphragmatic and retrochiasmatic areas without crossing nerves and arteries. METHOD: Based on our substantial experience of 68 patients operated on between 2008 and 2022 by endoscopic surgery, our strategy has evolved such that all of our midline infundibular craniopharyngiomas with hypothalamic involvement are currently treated with an expanded endonasal route, except for tumours isolated to the third ventricle. Vascularized mucosal nasoseptal flaps are required for closure. Fine details of the related anatomy and surgical technique are described. CONCLUSION: Expanded endoscopic endonasal approach is a safe and effective route for resection of midline suprasellar craniopharyngiomas with hypothalamic involvement in centres of expertise.

Double pedicled nasoseptal flap for skull base repair after endoscopic expanded endonasal approach.

BACKGROUND: Expanded endonasal approach offers a spectacular corridor for skull base tumour resection but requires reliable multilayer reconstruction techniques with a vascularized nasoseptal flap. METHOD: On the basis on our substantial experience of 136 patients operated on between January 2008 and January 2020, the double pedicled nasoseptal flap technique was developed for skull base repair. The technique is finely detailed. The nasal floor mucosa was preserved. CSF leakage occurred in 4% of patients. CONCLUSION: Double pedicled nasoseptal flap is a reproducible and efficient technique for skull base reconstruction after expanded endonasal approach and is associated with limited rhinological complications.

Clinical characteristics and long-term surgical outcome of spinal myxopapillary ependymoma: a French cohort of 101 patients.

PURPOSE: Myxopapillary ependymoma (MPE) is the most frequent tumor affecting the medullary conus. The surgical therapeutic management is still debated and only few studies have focused on the postoperative clinical outcome of patients. This study aimed to demonstrate long-term postoperative outcome and to assess the predictive factors of recurrence as well as the clinical evolution of these patients. METHODS: From 1984 to 2019, in four French centers, 101 adult patients diagnosed with MPE were retrospectively included. RESULTS: Median age at surgery was 39 years. Median tumor size was 50 mm and lesions were multifocal in 13% of patients. All patients benefited from surgery and one patient received postoperative radiotherapy. Gross total resection was obtained in 75% of cases. Sixteen percent of patients presented recurrence after a median follow-up of 70 months. Progression free survival at 5 and 10 years were respectively estimated at 83% and 79%. After multivariable analysis, sacral localization, and subtotal resection were shown to be independently associated with tumor recurrence. 85% of the patients had a favorable evolution concerning pain. 12% of the patients presented a postoperative deterioration of sphincter function and 4% of motor function. CONCLUSION: Surgery alone is an acceptable option for MPE patients. Patients with sacral location or incomplete resection are at high risk of recurrence and should be carefully monitored.

Cognitive versus virtual reality simulation for evaluation of technical skills in neurosurgery.

OBJECTIVE: Simulation is gaining momentum as a new modality of medical training, particularly in acute care settings such as surgery. In the present study, the authors aimed to compare individual cognitive skills with manual abilities as assessed by virtual reality (VR) simulation among neurosurgical residents. METHODS: Participants were asked to complete a multiple-choice questionnaire assessing their surgical abilities regarding three basic neurosurgical procedures (endoscopic third ventriculostomy, cranial meningioma, and lumbar laminectomy). They subsequently performed these same three procedures on a VR simulator (NeuroTouch). RESULTS: The authors found that cognitive scores correlated with self-evaluation of surgical experience and autonomy. On the contrary, VR simulation, as assessed by NeuroTouch automated scoring, did not reflect participants' cognitive or self-evaluation of their surgical proficiency. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that neurosurgical education should focus as much on cognitive simulation (e.g., careful planning and critical appraisal of actual procedures) as on VR training of visuomotor skills.

Pituitary surgery for Cushing's disease.

BACKGROUND: Surgery is currently the first-line treatment of Cushing's disease. Surgery for Cushing's patients requires technical specificity, especially if no adenoma is identified on dedicated preoperative pituitary MRI. METHOD: From 2006 to 2020, 683 patients with Cushing's disease were operated on with a mononostril endoscopic endonasal approach by the same two senior neurosurgeons. Here, we report the particularities of this challenging surgery. CONCLUSION: A rigorous and planned surgical strategy avoids the pitfalls of Cushing's disease surgery and leads to a high rate of endocrine remission.

Mononostril endoscopic endonasal approach for pituitary surgery.

BACKGROUND: Most surgical teams currently consider that endoscopy has become the "gold standard" technique for the transsphenoidal approach to pituitary surgery. Pituitary adenomas are commonly benign tumours and should benefit from the least invasive approach. METHOD: In Foch Hospital, from 2006 to 2020, 2835 patients with pituitary adenomas were treated with a mononostril endoscopic endonasal approach. Here we describe the fine details of the nasal, sphenoidal and sellar steps of this technique. CONCLUSION: Complete preservation of the nasal corridor, luxation of the nasal septum and tailored sellar bone resection are essential for safe resection of pituitary adenomas.

How I do it-the eyebrow approach for anterior circle of Willis aneurysms.

BACKGROUND: The eyebrow approach is a keyhole technique that gives a wide access to the anterior circle of Willis. METHODS: A 4-cm linear incision is placed in the upper limit of the eyebrow and a small supraorbital bone flap is raised. A wide arachnoid dissection is essential to maximize the working space. One or multiple aneurysms may be treated by the same approach. CONCLUSIONS: The eyebrow approach is a safe technique for selected aneurysms of the anterior circle of Willis.

Efficacy of endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery for Cushing's disease in 230 patients with positive and negative MRI.

OBJECT: The primary objective was to assess the remission rate, and the secondary objectives were to evaluate the early complications and recurrence rate and to define the predictive factors for the remission and recurrence rates. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This prospective single-center study included 230 consecutive patients, operated on by a single surgeon for Cushing's disease via a transsphenoidal endoscopic endonasal approach, over a 6-year period (2008-2013). The patients included in this series were all adults (>18 years of age), who presented with clinical and biological characteristics of Cushing's disease confirmed based on dedicated MRI pituitary imaging. Biochemical remission was defined as a postoperative serum cortisol level <5 µg/dl on the 2nd day following surgery that required glucocorticoid replacement therapy. RESULTS: The remission rate for the global population (n = 230) with a follow-up of 21 ± 19.2 months concerned 182 patients (79.1%) divided into 132 patients (82.5%) with positive MRI and 50 patients (71.4%) with negative MRI with no statistically significant difference (p = 0.077). Complications occurred in 77 patients with no deaths. A total of 22% of patients had transient diabetes insipidus and 6.4% long-term diabetes insipidus, and no postoperatively CSF leakage was observed. The recurrence rate was 9.8% with a mean time of 32.7 ± 15.2 months. The predictive factors for the remission rate were the presence of pituitary microadenoma and a positive histology. No risk factors were involved regarding the recurrence rate. CONCLUSION: Whatever the MRI results, the transsphenoidal endonasal endoscopic approach remains the gold standard treatment for Cushing's disease. It was maximally effective with a remission rate of 79.1% and lower morbidity.

Silent, but not unseen: multimicrocystic aspect on T2-weighted MRI in silent corticotroph adenomas.

OBJECTIVE: Silent corticotroph adenomas (SCAs) present as nonfunctional pituitary tumours in routine pre-operative evaluation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of MRI T2-weighted sequences for detecting the corticotroph subtype pre-operatively. DESIGN: The pre-operative T2-weighted MRI sequences were retrospectively evaluated in patients with SCA and two control groups: clinically manifest corticotroph macroadenomas (CSMs) and nonfunctional gonadotroph macroadenomas (NFGMs). All were selected from a registry of 1096 patients in whom transsphenoidal surgery was performed in the same tertiary reference centre. T2-weighted MRI sequences were independently classified by one senior endocrinologist and one senior radiologist who were blinded to the clinical and histological features. PATIENTS: Seventeen patients with SCA, 14 with CSM and 60 with NFGM were included in this study. MEASUREMENTS: Pituitary MRI with T2-weighted sequences. Two aspects were retained: multiple microcysts (MMs) and the absence of microcysts. Hormonal data included plasma prolactin, IGF-1, testosterone or oestradiol, LH, FT4, TSH, morning plasma cortisol and an ACTH-stimulation test, when available. RESULTS: Multiple microcysts were present in 76% (13/17) of SCAs, 21% (3/14) of CSMs and 5% (3/60) of NFGMs. The presence of MMs in clinically nonfunctioning macroadenomas had a sensitivity of 76% and a specificity of 95% for predicting SCA. CONCLUSION: The presence of MMs in T2-weighted MRI is a good diagnostic tool to suggest the corticotroph subtype in an apparently nonfunctional pituitary tumour.

Prognostic impact of hypothalamic perforation in adult patients with craniopharyngioma: a cohort study.

CONTEXT: Outcome of craniopharyngioma is related to its locoregional extension, which impacts resectability and the risk of surgical complications. To maximize resection and minimize complications, optic tract localization, temporal lobe extension and hypothalamic involvement are essential for surgical management. OBJECTIVE: To assess the outcome of craniopharyngiomas depending on their relation to the hypothalamus location. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 79 patients with a craniopharyngioma who underwent surgery from 2007 to 2022. Craniopharyngiomas were classified in three groups, depending on the type of hypothalamus involvement assessed by preoperative MRI: infra-hypothalamic (type A, n=33); perforating the hypothalamus (type B, n=40); supra-hypothalamic (type C, n=6). Surgical strategy was guided by the type of hypothalamic involvement, favoring endonasal approaches for type A and type B, and transcranial approaches for type C. RESULTS: Long-term disease control was achieved in 33/33 (100%), 37/40 (92%) and 5/6 (83%) patients in type A, B and C respectively. In type B, vision was improved in 32/36 (89%) patients, while hypothalamic function was improved, stable or worsened in 6/40 (15%), 32/40 (80%) and 2/40 (5%) patients respectively. Papillary craniopharyngiomas were found in 5/33 (15%), 9/40 (22%) and 3/6 (50%) patients in types A, B and C respectively. In four patients, BRAF/MEK inhibitors were used, with significant tumor shrinkage in all cases. CONCLUSION: Craniopharyngiomas located below the hypothalamus or perforating it can be safely treated by transsphenoidal surgery. For supra-hypothalamic craniopharyngiomas, postoperative results are less favorable, and documenting a BRAF-mutation may improve outcome, if targeted therapy was efficient enough to replace surgical debulking.

KDM1A genotyping and expression in 146 sporadic somatotroph pituitary adenomas.

IMPORTANCE: A paradoxical increase of growth hormone (GH) following oral glucose load has been described in ∼30% of patients with acromegaly and has been related to the ectopic expression of the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor (GIPR) in somatotropinomas. Recently, we identified germline pathogenic variants and somatic loss of heterozygosity of lysine demethylase 1A (KDM1A) in patients with GIP-dependent primary bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia with Cushing's syndrome. The ectopic expression of GIPR in both adrenal and pituitary lesions suggests a common molecular mechanism. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to analyze KDM1A gene sequence and KDM1A and GIPR expressions in somatotroph pituitary adenomas. SETTINGS: We conducted a cohort study at university hospitals in France and in Italy. We collected pituitary adenoma specimens from acromegalic patients who had undergone pituitary surgery. We performed targeted exome sequencing (gene panel analysis) and array-comparative genomic hybridization on somatic DNA derived from adenomas and performed droplet digital PCR on adenoma samples to quantify KDM1A and GIPR expressions. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-six patients with sporadic acromegaly were studied; 72.6% presented unsuppressed classical GH response, whereas 27.4% displayed a paradoxical rise in GH after oral glucose load. We did not identify any pathogenic variant in the KDM1A gene in the adenomas of these patients. However, we identified a recurrent 1p deletion encompassing the KDM1A locus in 29 adenomas and observed a higher prevalence of paradoxical GH rise (P = .0166), lower KDM1A expression (4.47 ± 2.49 vs 8.56 ± 5.62, P < .0001), and higher GIPR expression (1.09 ± 0.92 vs 0.43 ± 0.51, P = .0012) in adenomas from patients with KDM1A haploinsufficiency compared with those with 2 KDM1A copies. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Unlike in GIP-dependent primary bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia, KDM1A genetic variations are not the cause of GIPR expression in somatotroph pituitary adenomas. Recurrent KDM1A haploinsufficiency, more frequently observed in GIPR-expressing adenomas, could be responsible for decreased KDM1A function resulting in transcriptional derepression on the GIPR locus.

Anatomical variations of the cavernous Internal Carotid Artery: Validation of an MRI-based classification.

OBJECTIVE: Variations of the cavernous Internal Carotid Artery (ICA) angulation (C4-bend) have been classified into 4 anatomical subtypes with particular surgical relevance, as a very angulated ICA comes in closest contact with the pituitary gland leading to higher risk of iatrogenic vascular injury. This study aimed to validate this classification using current routine imaging techniques. METHODS: The different cavernous ICA bending angles were measured on 109 MRI TOF sequences, within a retrospective database of patients with no sellar lesions. Each ICA was classified into one of 4 anatomical subtypes as already defined in a previous study [1]. Interrater agreement was assessed by a Kappa Correlation Coefficient. RESULTS: Kappa Correlation Coefficient was of 0.90 [0.82-0.95], validating the strong level of agreement between all observers when using the present classification. CONCLUSION: Classification of the cavernous ICA in 4 subtypes appears statistically valid on routinely used pre-operative MRI, providing an efficient tool to estimate the vascular iatrogenic risk prior to endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery.

Interval between onset of symptoms and diagnosis of medulloblastoma in children: distribution and determinants in a population-based study.

Hospital-based studies have reported long delays in the diagnosis of paediatric brain tumours. Our objective was to describe the duration between onset of symptoms and diagnosis of medulloblastoma in children and study their clinical determinants in a population-based study. This retrospective cohort study included all paediatric medulloblastoma from a region of France from 1990 to 2005. The median interval from symptom onset until diagnosis for these 166 patients was 65 days and did not decrease during the study period. The most frequent manifestations were: vomiting (88%), headaches (79%), psychomotor regression (60% of children under 3 years), psychological symptoms (27%), strabismus (26%), and asthenia (25%). For one third of the children under 3 years, the diagnosis was made only after life-threatening signs of intracranial hypertension appeared. The prediagnosis interval was significantly longer (median 91 vs. 60 days, p = 0.001) in children with psychological symptoms (27%). Causes for intervals that exceeded the median (65 days) included inconsistent (25%) or late (36%) combination of headaches and vomiting, a period of spontaneous symptom remission (14%-20%), no (24%) or late (57%) neurological signs, psychological symptoms (35%), and a normal neurological examination (27%). Time to medulloblastoma diagnosis in children remains fairly long, despite advances in imaging. Primary-care physicians must be suspicious not only of suggestive neurological signs, but also of non-specific symptoms that persist or are multiple. A meticulous neurological examination and cerebral imaging for such patients might facilitate earlier diagnosis.

Closure strategy for endoscopic pituitary surgery: Experience from 3015 patients.

Introduction: Effective strategies are required to ensure optimal management of the crucial closure step in endoscopic pituitary surgery. Many surgical techniques have been reported but no significant consensus has been defined. Methods: Between January 2006 and March 2022, 3015 adult patients with pituitary adenomas were operated on by a single expert neurosurgical team, using a mononostril endoscopic endonasal approach. Based of preoperative risk factors of and operative findings, a detailed closure strategy was used. Body mass index >40, sellar floor lysis, number of surgeries>2, large skull base destruction, prior radiotherapy were considered as preoperative risk factors for closure failure. All patients treated with an expanded endonasal approach were excluded. Results: Patients were mostly women (F/M ratio: 1.4) with a median age of 50 (range: 18 -89). Intraoperative CSF leak requiring specific surgical management was observed in 319/3015 (10.6%) of patients. If intraoperative leak occurred, patients with predictive risk factors were managed using a Foley balloon catheter in case of sellar floor lysis or BMI>40 and a multilayer repair strategy with a vascularized nasoseptal flap in other cases. Postoperative CSF leak occurred in 29/3015 (1%) of patients, while meningitis occurred in 24/3015 (0.8%) of patients. In patients with intraoperative leak, closure management failed in 11/319 (3.4%) of cases. Conclusion: Based on our significant 16-year experience, our surgical management is reliable and easy to follow. With a planned and stepwise strategy, the closure step can be optimized and tailored to each patient with a very low failure rate.

Corticotroph tumor progression speed after adrenalectomy.

Objectives: After bilateral adrenalectomy in Cushing's disease, corticotroph tumor progression occurs in one-third to half of patients. However, progression speed is variable, ranging from slow to rapid. The aim was to explore corticotroph progression speed, its consequences and its risk factors. Design: A retrospective single-center observational study. Methods: In total,103 patients with Cushing's disease who underwent bilateral adrenalectomy between 1990 and 2020 were included. Clinical, biological, histological and MRI features were collected. Median duration of follow-up after bilateral adrenalectomy was 9.31 years. Results: In total,44 patients progressed (43%). Corticotroph tumor progression speed ranged from 1 to 40.7 mm per year. Progression speed was not different before and after bilateral adrenalectomy (P = 0.29). In univariate analyses, predictive factors for rapid corticotroph tumor progression included the severity of Cushing's disease before adrenalectomy as the cause of adrenalectomy, high ACTH in the year following adrenalectomy and high Ki67 immunopositivity in the tumor. During follow-up, early morning ACTH absolute variation was associated with corticotroph tumor progression speed (P-value = 0.001). ACTH measurement after dynamic testing did not improve this association. Conclusion: After adrenalectomy, corticotroph progression speed is highly variable and manageable with MRI and ACTH surveillance. Progression speed does not seem related to bilateral adrenalectomy but rather to intrinsic properties of highly proliferative and secreting tumors.

Outcome of giant pituitary tumors requiring surgery.

Objective: The management of giant pituitary tumors is complex, with few publications and recommendations. Consequently, patient's care mainly relies on clinical experience. We report here a first large series of patients with giant pituitary tumors managed by a multidisciplinary expert team, focusing on treatments and outcome. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Giant pituitary tumors were defined by a main diameter > 40mm. Macroprolactinomas sensitive to dopamine agonists were excluded. All patients were operated by a single neurosurgical team. After surgery, multimodal management was proposed, including hormone replacement, radiotherapy and anti-tumor medical therapies. Outcome was modeled using Kaplan-Meyer representation. A logistic regression model was built to identify the risk factors associated with surgical complications. Results: 63 consecutive patients presented a giant adenoma, most often with visual defects. Patients were operated once, twice or three times in 59%, 40% and 1% of cases respectively, mainly through endoscopic endonasal approach. Giant adenomas included gonadotroph, corticotroph, somatotroph, lactotroph and mixed GH-PRL subtypes in 67%, 14%, 11%, 6% and 2% of patients respectively. Vision improved in 89% of patients with prior visual defects. Severe surgical complications occurred in 11% of patients, mainly for tumors > 50 mm requiring microscopic transcranial approach. Additional radiotherapy was needed for 29% of patients, 3 to 56 months after first surgery. For 6% of patients, Temozolomide treatment was required, 19 to 66 months after first surgery. Conclusions: Giant pituitary tumors require multimodal management, with a central role of surgery. Most often, tumor control can be achieved by expert multidisciplinary teams.

Real-life efficacy and predictors of response to immunotherapy in pituitary tumors: a cohort study.

Objective: After temozolomide failure, no evidence-based treatment is available for pituitary carcinomas (PCs) and aggressive pituitary tumors (APTs). To date, only 12 cases treated with immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been published, showing encouraging efficacy. Predictive factors of response are lacking. Here, we aimed to assess the real-life efficacy and predictors of response to ICIs in PCs and APTs. Design and methods: This study is a multicentric, retrospective, observational cohort study, including all PCs and APTs treated with ICIs in France up to March 2022. PD-L1 immunohistochemistry and CD8+ T cell infiltration were evaluated centrally. Results: Six PCs (four corticotroph and two lactotroph) and nine APTs (five corticotroph and four lactotroph) were included. The real-life efficacy of ICIs was lower than previously published data. Three corticotroph tumors (33.3%) showed partial response, one (11.1%) stable disease, while five (55.6%) progressed. One lactotroph tumor (16.7%) showed partial response, one (16.7%) stable disease, while four (66.7%) progressed. PCs responded far better than APTs, with 4/6 PCs showing partial response compared to 0/9 APTs. Corticotroph tumors responded slightly better than lactotroph tumors. In the four responsive corticotroph tumors, PD-L1 staining was negative and CD8+ T cell infiltration attained a maximum of 1% in the tumor center. Conclusions: Confirmation of the presence or absence of metastases is necessary before starting ICIs. After temozolomide failure, ICIs appear as a good therapeutic option for PCs, especially for corticotroph carcinomas. Negative PD-L1 staining and very low CD8+ T cell infiltration in the tumor center should not preclude ICI administration in corticotroph carcinomas. Significance statement: This is the first study to assess the real-life efficacy of ICIs in pituitary carcinomas (PCs) and aggressive pituitary tumors. We also assessed potential predictors of response and are the first to assess the predictive value of CD8+ cell infiltration. We identified the tumor type as a major predictor, ICIs proving far more effective in treating PCs. Our study provides evidence that ICIs are a good option after temozolomide failure for PCs (four of six responded), especially for corticotroph carcinomas (three of four responded). We also provide evidence that negative PD-L1 staining and very low CD8+ cell infiltration in the tumor center should not preclude ICI administration in corticotroph carcinomas. Moreover, our findings point toward the need to systematically perform extension workup before starting ICIs.