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Objective: Transsphenoidal surgery is the treatment of choice for nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenomas (NFMA). In this study we evaluated the long-term effects of a treatment strategy in which postoperative radiotherapy was not routinely applied to patients with NFMA.

Design: This was a retrospective follow-up study.

Patients: We included 109 consecutive patients (age 56 ± 13 yr) operated for NFMA between 1992 and 2004.

Results: Radiological imaging revealed a macroadenoma in all patients, with suprasellar extension in 96% and parasellar/infrasellar extension in 36% of cases. Visual field defects were present in 87% of the patients and improved in 84% of these patients after surgery. Only six patients received postoperative radiotherapy. Ten patients died during the follow-up period. Ninety-seven patients could be assessed for tumor regrowth or tumor recurrence after …