Transsphenoidal Approach For Sympatomatic Rathke’s Cleft Cysts: Endoscopic Surgery VS Microsurgery

Objective: To compare efficacy and safety of transsphenoidal surgery for sympatomatic Rathke’s cleft cysts between endoscopic surgery and microsurgery.Methods:The clinical features,including manifestation,surgery,Pathology,postoperative complication,postoperative recurrence,outcome of patients with Rathke’s cleft cysts presenting to the first affiliated hospital of XinJiang Medical University from 2001 to 2015 were reviewed retrospectively.Results: thirty-four patients(25 females; 9 males, mean age, 47 years;range, 14-75 years).The mean length of follow-up was 60 months.Two patients had a recurrence,who underwent reoperation. Twenty-two patients were treated by endoscopic surgery,twelve patients were treated by microsurgery.There are no difference between two groups about headaches remission rate,visual function recovery rate,endocrine reief rate, average operative time(P>0.05).But the average postoperative time of stay in hospital in microsurgery group was higher than that in endoscopic group(P=0.001).Conclusion: Transsphenoidal surgery of sympatomatic Rathke’s cleft cysts can not only make use of endoscopic but also under the microscope; Two surgical techniques in postoperative hospitalization timewere significantly different, Endoscopic surgery is superior to operation under the microscope.The patients after endoscopic surgery feel more comfortable.In postoperative complications,time of operation,symptoms and other aspects of tumor recurrence in both groups no significant differences.