The following is a summary of “Controlled Study of Pre- and Postoperative Headache in Patients with Sellar Masses (HEADs-uP Study),”published in the July 2024 issue of Pain by Slagboom et al.

Sellar masses are frequently occurring intracranial tumors, presenting a range of clinical symptoms, including headaches.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study assessing the prevalence and features of headaches in patients with sellar tumors compared to the general population and evaluating the impact of tumor resection on the symptom.

They enrolled 57 patients who underwent transsphenoidal resection for sellar masses (53% female, mean age 53.5 ± 16.4 years) and 29 of the partners as controls (45% female, mean age 54.8 ± 14.9 years). The study measured the prevalence, characteristics, and impact of headaches 1 month before surgery and at the 3 month postoperative neurosurgical follow-up.

The result showed that after surgery, patients showed a greater prevalence of regular headaches (≥1 time per month) than controls (54% vs. 17%, P<0.001), and the headache impact scores were significantly higher (all P≤0.01). After surgery, headache prevalence decreased in both groups, but patients experienced a more substantial reduction in headache frequency and impact than controls, resulting in no significant differences between the groups.

Investigators concluded that over 50% of patients with sellar tumors experience headaches at least once a month, with greater frequency and impact than controls, and the notable reduction in headaches post-surgery indicates that tumor resection offers benefits beyond just the passage of time.

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/edm2.496