Pituitary Neurosurgery

The activity of the Pituitary Neurosurgery Programme - which in December 2019 was recognised as a Reference Centre of the Emilia-Romagna Region (DGR 2134/19) - focuses on the diagnosis and treatment with particularly advanced and minimally invasive techniques of endoscopic neurosurgery of oncological pathologies of the pituitary gland and basicranium.

Care activities

The Programme's care is provided by a multidisciplinary team comprising neurorchologists and neuroendocrinologists.

Surgical activity

• Cranial and endo- and exo-scopic surgery;
• technologically complex cranial surgery with the development of intra-operative imaging integration (neuronavigator-guided procedures, with the application of fMRI, tractography, ultrasound imaging, the use of tracers for real-time visualisation of tumour cells, intra-operative neurophysiological monitoring, or requiring in vivo lesion characterisation with biopsy/operative specimen or histopathological and genetic-molecular correlates);
• surgery of diseases of the diencephalon-pituitary region;
• application of artificial intelligence techniques and robotic surgery to skull base surgery.

Neuroendocrinological activity

• The clinical endocrinological activity is an essential part of the diagnostic and therapeutic pathway of the patient affected by hypothalamic-pituitary pathology. It is an integral part of the neurosurgical, neuroradiological and anatomopathological activity carried out by the Programme, as well as a link between the outpatient activity carried out at regional and extra-regional territorial and hospital facilities. This activity is performed on several levels and is carried out both in an outpatient and inpatient setting to confirm a diagnostic suspicion and in the follow-up, particularly after surgery or radiotherapy treatment, as well as during medical treatment, to assess its effectiveness;
• Clinical evaluation, performed at the Neurosurgery inpatient ward, of the patient candidate for surgery at admission (pre-operative), and clinical re-evaluation in the post-operative period and, in the case of hypothalamic-pituitary functional alterations following surgery. Setting the appropriate hormone replacement therapy.

Research activities

Research activity is also carried out through multicentric studies and global consensus, mainly in the field of pituitary and basicranium neoplasms such as giant adenomas, craniopharyngiomas, chordomas, pineal gland tumours.

Training

School of Medicine: Pre-graduated lectures and training.
School of Specialisation in Neurosurgery
Observership and fellowship with Italian and foreign
studentsAnnual organisation of
highly specialised courses with anatomical dissection and live surgery.

Publications

See the main publications in Pituitary Neurosurgery

Staff

DiegoMazzatenta MD, Associated Professor, Neurosurgeon
Matteo Zoli, MD, PhD, Neurosurgeon
Ernesto Pasquini MD, ENT Surgeon
Giacomo Sollini MD, ENT Surgeon
Alfredo Conti MD, PhD; Associated Professor, Radiosurgery
Marco Faustini-Fustini MD Endocrinologist
Federica Guaraldi MD, PhD, Endocrinologist
Sofia Asioli MD, PhD Pathologist
Golcin Macknouni MD, Anesthesiologist
Alessandra Razzaboni MD, Anesthesiologist
Caterina Tonon MD, PhD, Full Professor, Neuroradiologist
Luigi Cirillo MD, PhD; Associated professor, Neuroradiologist
Michela Nanni, Head nurse
Maria  Elena Ciocchini, Case manager

Contact

diego.mazzatenta@unibo.it