The Meaning of Using «The Quality of Life Assessment of Growth Hormone Deficiency in Adults» Questionnaire in Patients with Non-Functional Pituitary Adenomas and Various Tumors of Chiasmosellar Area in Pre- and Postoperative Period

Abstract

The authors have examined 136 patients with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) of various origins (pituitary tumors and ischemic heart disease — comparison group). The investigation of the quality of life on the basis of GHD questionnaire «Quality of Life Assessment of Growth Hormone Deficiency in Adults» (QoL-AGHDA) in 136 patients showed, that in all groups the average score was higher than normal one (normal < 11), and most significantly it was observed in patients of first, third and fourth groups and second subgroup of the fifth group. Reliable correlation between low basal levels of somatotropic hormone (STH), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) of blood plasma and average score by GHD questionnaire QoL-AGHDA was found in the first, second, third, and fourth groups of the second subgroup of the fifth group of patients, that confirms high efficacy of using GHD questionnaire QoL-AGHDA in patients with GHD of various origins. 36 patients in 3 months after transnasal hypophysectomy reported reliable increase in the average score by GHD questionnaire on the background of decreased levels of STH and IGF-1. This shows that in the early postoperative period in patients the severity of hypopituitarism increases and the question of the prescription of hormone replacement therapy arises.

Keywords

• growth hormone deficiency
• pituitary adenomas
• transnasal selective hypophysectomy