The neurosurgical outcome of pediatric Cushing's disease in a single center from China: a 20-year experience.
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OBJECTIVE: Pediatric Cushing's disease (CD) is exceptionally rare and poses significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. This study aimed to review the diagnostic features and to evaluate the long-term surgical outcomes of transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) in Pediatric CD patients at a single tertiary center in China over two decades. METHODS: A retrospective analysis included 22 pediatric CD patients (10 male, 12 female; mean age 15.8 ± 2.5 years) who underwent TSS between 2002 and 2022. Diagnosis was established through a multidisciplinary protocol involving standardized biochemical testing (LDDST, HDDST), bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling (BIPSS) with desmopressin stimulation (n=19), and high-resolution pituitary MRI. Microscopic TSS (MTSS) was performed before 2016 (n=11) and endoscopic TSS (ETSS) thereafter (n=11). Surgical strategy was guided by MRI and BIPSS findings. Immediate remission was defined as a postoperative serum cortisol nadir <5 μg/dL or normal 24-h urinary free cortisol (UFC). Recurrence was defined as the reappearance of hypercortisolism after remission. Mean follow-up was 29.4 months (range 2-129). RESULTS: MRI identified the adenoma in 18/22 patients (81.8%; 16 microadenomas, 2 macroadenomas). BIPSS indicated lateralization in 14/19 patients (73.7%), with concordance between BIPSS and MRI lateralization in 57.9% (11/19) of cases. Immediate postoperative remission was achieved in 20 patients (90.9%). The two non-remitters (one macroadenoma, one MRI- and pathology-negative) received additional therapies. Among the 20 patients with initial remission, 2 (10.0%) developed recurrence (one microadenoma, one MRI-negative) during follow-up. The sustained long-term remission rate was 81.8% (18/22). CONCLUSION: Transsphenoidal surgery represents a highly effective first-line treatment for pediatric CD, achieving high rates of immediate (90.9%) and long-term remission (81.8%) in a specialized center. A meticulous diagnostic approach incorporating BIPSS is crucial, particularly for MRI-negative cases. While recurrence occurred in a minority of patients, primarily those with microadenomas, durable disease control is attainable for the majority with appropriate surgical management. The transition to endoscopic techniques was feasible and effective.