Can non-functioning pituitary tumors recur?

Although non-functioning pituitary tumors are benign, they can recur. The reason is that pituitary tumors occur in the pituitary gland, which is located right in the middle of the skull base and is difficult to reach surgically. In general, patients with benign pituitary tumors prefer to undergo minimally invasive surgery through the nasal cavity to open the saddle base bone and dura mater to remove the tumor. If the tumor grows aggressively and infiltrates the surrounding blood vessels and dura, sometimes it is difficult to remove the tumor completely, which may lay the groundwork for future recurrence, and the tumor may come back after several years. In case of recurrence, dynamic observation or radiation therapy is often chosen.