Specificity of systemic inflammatory response syndrome during the peri-operative period in patients with GH-secreting adenoma

Objective: To analyze the differences in systemic inflammatory responses (SIRS) during the peri-operative period following pituitary surgery, patients with pituitary adenomas were studied. Methods: There were three patient groups: group A consisted of 30 patients with GH-secreting adenoma, group B consisted of 20 age-matched patients with Cushing’s disease, and group C consisted of 30 patients with other kinds of pituitary adenoma. Levels of white blood cells, C-reactive protein (CRP) and IL-6 in peripheral blood, as well as vital signs, were measured before and after operation. Results: Leucocytosis in peri-operative period was significantly milder in group A patients compared with either group B or C patients. The CRP level was significantly higher in both group B and group C patients than in group A patients. SIRS was observed in 17% of the cases in group A; by contrast, it was found in 55%, and 33% of the cases in group B, and in group C, respectively. Conclusion: The inflammatory reaction to surgical trauma is milder in patients with GH-secreting adenomas than in patients with other kinds of pituitary adenoma.