Prevalence, predictors and patterns of postoperative polyuria and hyponatraemia in the immediate course after transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenomas

OBJECTIVE Disturbances of osmoregulation, leading to diabetes insipidus and hyponatraemia are well known complications after surgery in the sella region. This study was performed to examine the prevalence and predictors of polyuria and hyponatraemia after a complete and selective removal of pituitary adenomas was attempted via the transnasal–transsphenoidal approach. DESIGN 1571 patients with pituitary adenomas (238 Cushing's disease, 405 acromegaly, 534 hormonally inactive adenomas, 358 prolactinoma, 23 Nelson's syndrome, and 13 thyrotropinoma) were daily examined within a 10‐day postoperative inpatient observation period. Prevalence of patterns of polyuria (> 2500 ml) and oliguria/hyponatraemia (< 132 mmol/l) were surveyed as well as predictors of postoperative morbidity. RESULTS 487 patients (31%) developed immediate postoperative hypotonic polyuria, 161 patients (10%) showed prolonged polyuria and 37 patients (2.4%) delayed hyponatraemia. A biphasic (polyuria‐hyponatraemia) and triphasic (polyuria‐hyponatraemia‐polyuria) pattern was seen in 53 (3.4%) and 18 (1.1%) patients, respectively. Forty‐one patients (2.6%) displayed immediate postoperative (day 1) hyponatraemia. Altogether, 8.4% of patients developed hyponatraemia at some time up to the 10th day postoperative, with symptomatic hyponatraemia in 32 patients (2.1%). Risk analysis showed that patients with Cushing's disease had a fourfold higher risk of polyuria than patients with acromegaly and a 2.8‐fold higher risk for postoperative hyponatraemia. Younger age, male sex, and intrasellar expansion were associated with a higher risk of hypotonic polyuria, but this was not considered clinically relevant. CONCLUSIONS The analysis illustrates that disturbances in osmoregulation resulting in polyuria and pertubations of serum sodium concentration are of very high prevalence and need observation even after selective transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenomas, especially in patients with Cushing's disease.