[Pituitary radiotherapy of Cushing's disease (an analysis of 22 cases and literatures review)].

22 patients with Cushing's disease were treated in our hospital from 1976 to 1983. 18 patients were treated by adrenal surgery combined with pituitary irradiation, while 4 patients by radiotherapy of pituitary alone. Overall effective rate was 94%, 82% of patients were able to return to work. Adrenal resection followed by radiation of the pituitary had a relapse rate of 9.1%. The relapse rate was increased to 85.7%, if post-operative radiation was not given. The authors proposed that for young patients with mild disease, radiotherapy alone for pituitary yields good results. As post-operative radiotherapy radiation should be started 2 weeks to 2 months after adrenal operation. Two opposing lateral preauricular portals together with one prefrontal midline portal are preferable and can effectively reduce the dose to the normal brain, the recommended dose is DT 40-50 Gy.