Sellar Masses: An Epidemiological Study

Background: Sellar masses (SM) are mostly benign growths of pituitary or nonpituitary origin that are increasingly encountered in clinical practice. To date, no comprehensive population-based study has reported the epidemiology of SM from North America. Aim: To determine the epidemiology of SM in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. Methods: Data from all pituitary-related referrals within the province were prospectively collected in interlinked computerized registries starting in November 2005. We conducted a retrospective analysis on all patients with SM seen within the province between November 2005 and December 2013. Results: A total of 1107 patients were identified, of which 1005 were alive and residing within the province. The mean age at presentation was 44.6±18 years, with an overall female preponderance (62%) and a population prevalence rate of 0.1%. Of patients with SM, 837 (83%) had pituitary adenomas and 168 (17%) had nonpituitary lesions. The relative prevalence and standardized incidence ratio, respectively, of various SM were: nonfunctioning adenomas (38.4%; 2.34), prolactinomas (34.3%; 2.22), Rathke’s cyst (6.5%; 0.5), growth hormone–secreting adenomas (6.5%; 0.3), craniopharyngiomas (4.5%; 0.2), adrenocorticotropic hormone–secreting adenomas (3.8%; 0.2), meningiomas (1.9%), and others (3.9%; 0.21). At presentation, 526 (52.3%) had masses ≥1 cm, 318 (31.6%) at