{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,3]],"date-time":"2026-04-03T21:27:14Z","timestamp":1775251634161,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"20","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,14]],"date-time":"2024-10-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1728864000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Cancers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Non-functioning (NF) accidentally detected PitNETs (PIs) are common findings of CT\/MRI scans currently. Data concerning their behavior vary, and some PIs will potentially experience a size change over time that might become clinically relevant. Objective: We aimed to evaluate CT-related PIs diameters following 3 aspects: a cross-sectional analysis based on the age\u2019 groups at first PI diagnosis and on the gender distribution and a longitudinal analysis in PIs with &lt;0.5 cm versus \u22650.5 cm as the largest diameter at baseline. Methods: A retrospective, real-life, multi-centric study in adults with NF micro-PIs was performed. Results: 208 subjects (92.79% females) were included (average age 43.18 \u00b1 12.58 y). The mean largest diameter (between transversal and longitudinal diameters) was 0.55 \u00b1 0.16cm, and 44.71% of the PIs were located on the right part of the pituitary gland. The patients were divided into 10 age-groups (21 to 70 y), and no difference was observed between the mean largest diameters of these groups (p = 0.693). Females and males had a similar age at PIs diagnosis (p = 0.353), transverse diameter (p = 0.910), longitudinal diameter (p = 0.229), and PI location (p = 0.368). Serial CT scans (2 to 4 per patient) included a median (Q1\u2013Q3) of 20 (12\u201336) months for the second CT scan, 58 (36\u201384) for the third CT scan, 78 (53\u2013118) for the fourth CT scan, and a total follow-up between baseline and last CT scan of 40 (13\u201372) months. The initial largest diameter correlated with the diameter change between the baseline and the last CT (r = \u22120.575, p = 0.000). The largest PI diameter was similar between each serial CT scan (p = 0.840). According to the cut-off value of 0.5 cm diameter (for initial largest tumor diameter), group A (N = 78, 37.50%, &lt;0.5 cm) and group B (N = 130, 62. 50%; \u22650.5 cm) had similar age at baseline (43.83 \u00b1 12.72 versus 42.79 \u00b1 12.54 y, p = 0.565) and PIs locations (right, left, median). The largest PI diameter remained smaller in group A versus B amid the second CT scan (p = 0.000) and the last CT scan (p = 0.009). The largest diameter change from the first to the last CT scan showed an increase in group A (median of +0.10 cm, p = 0.000) and a decrease in group B (median of \u22120.01 cm, p = 0.002); this diameter change was different in group A versus B (p = 0.000). The cumulative probability of tumor-growth-free survival showed different survival functions (log rank p = 0.000): group A exhibited a more gradual decrease versus B; at 60 months, the cumulative probability was 0.32 \u00b1 0.08 for group A versus 0.75 \u00b1 0.07 for B. During follow-up, all PIs remained NF, and no hypopituitarism was noted (as limits, we mention that dynamic hypopituitarism testing was selectively performed). Conclusions: NF micro-PIs in adults showed a similar age and sex distribution. During follow-up, PIs with a largest diameter &lt; 0.5 cm increased after a median of 40 months but remained &lt;1 cm, while in PIs with \u22650.5 cm, the largest diameter decreased. This highlights a lower predictability in tumor behavior than expected, particularly in larger micro-PIs that, overall, remained without relevant clinical implications after surveillance.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cancers16203477","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,21]],"date-time":"2024-10-21T04:45:35Z","timestamp":1729485935000},"page":"3477","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["A Study in Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumors (PitNETs): Real-Life Data Amid Baseline and Serial CT Scans"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Mihai","family":"Costachescu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, Fundeni Clinical Institute, 022328 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"PhD Doctoral School of \u201cCarol Davila\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 010825 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Thoracic Surgery Department, \u201cDr. Carol Davila\u201d Central Emergency University Military Hospital, 010825 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Oana-Claudia","family":"Sima","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"PhD Doctoral School of \u201cCarol Davila\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 010825 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mihaela","family":"Stanciu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Endocrinology, \u201cLucian Blaga\u201d University of Sibiu, Victoriei Blvd., 550024 Sibiu, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Endocrinology, Clinical County Emergency Hospital, 550245 Sibiu, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ana","family":"Valea","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Endocrinology, \u201cIuliu Hatieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Endocrinology, County Emergency Clinical Hospital, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8585-3835","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mara","family":"Carsote","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Endocrinology, \u201cCarol Davila\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 0505474 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Clinical Endocrinology V, C.I. Parhon National Institute of Endocrinology, 011863 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2274-5666","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Claudiu","family":"Nistor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Thoracic Surgery Department, \u201cDr. Carol Davila\u201d Central Emergency University Military Hospital, 010825 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Department 4\u2013Cardio-Thoracic Pathology, Thoracic Surgery II Discipline, \u201cCarol Davila\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 0505474 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-4402-7194","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mihai-Lucian","family":"Ciobica","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, \u201cCarol Davila\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine I and Rheumatology, \u201cDr. Carol Davila\u201d Central Military University Emergency Hospital, 010825 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Veleno, M., Giampietro, A., Raia, S., Menotti, S., Tartaglione, T., Gaudino, S., Doglietto, F., DEMarinis, L., Pontecorvi, A., and Chiloiro, S. 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