Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41577859›Full record

SynthesisNeurosurgical review2026

Radiosurgery in recurrent and persistent Cushing's Disease: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Federico Valeri, Vincenzo Mastropasqua, Giuseppe Maria Della Pepa, Gianluca Trevisi, Alessandro Olivi, Ciro Mazzarella, Sabrina Chiloiro, Antonio Bianchi, Liverana Lauretti, Rosalinda Calandrelli and 5 more

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Neurosurgical review, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Federico ValeriFaculty of Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy. federicovaleri97@gmail.com.
Vincenzo MastropasquaFaculty of Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
Giuseppe Maria Della PepaDepartment of Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy.
Gianluca TrevisiDepartment of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, G. D'Annunzio University Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
Alessandro OliviFaculty of Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
Ciro MazzarellaRadiology and Neuroradiology Unit, Department of Imaging, Radiation Therapy and Hematology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy.
Sabrina ChiloiroDepartment of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Pituitary Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy.
Antonio BianchiDepartment of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Pituitary Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy.
Liverana LaurettiFaculty of Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
Rosalinda CalandrelliRadiology and Neuroradiology Unit, Department of Imaging, Radiation Therapy and Hematology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy.
Vincenzo ValentiniDepartment of Radiosurgery, Ospedale Isola Tiberina - Gemelli Isola, Roma, Italy.
Francesco MiccichèDepartment of Radiosurgery, Ospedale Isola Tiberina - Gemelli Isola, Roma, Italy.
Giuseppe MinnitiRadiation Oncology, Policlinico Umberto I, Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Francesco Doglietto *Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
Pier Paolo Mattogno *Department of Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cushing's disease (CD) is a severe systemic metabolic disorder caused by elevated levels of cortisol sustained by a pituitary neuroendocrine tumor. Endoscopic trans-sphenoidal surgery (ETS) is the first-line treatment, but does not achieve disease remission in all patients. For patients with persistent or recurrent Cushing's disease, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has been reported as an effective treatment option. This review and meta-analysis assesses the available evidence to systematically highlight the current strengths and limitations of SRS in the treatment of CD. In May 2025, following the PRISMA 2020 statement, a systematic review of Pubmed, Scopus, and Ovid was performed. Of 687 articles screened, 9 were considered eligible, describing a population of 341 patients. Most patients (90%) underwent a single dose of Gamma Knife SRS. The tumor control rate was 97.4% (95% CI: 95.2-99.6%). After a mean follow-up of 61.5 months after the latest SRS cycle, biochemical remission was achieved in 67.1% (95% CI: 58.5-75.7%) of cases in a mean time of 26.4 months. Recurrence post-SRS remission was documented in 21% of cases after a mean time of 39 months. New-onset hypopituitarism was observed in 29.9% of cases, visual impairment and other cranial nerve dysfunction in 1.8% (95% CI: 0.2-3.4%), and 1.9% (95% CI: 0.1-3.7%), respectively. No cases of radionecrosis were seen. After a single cycle of treatment, SRS effectively controls the disease in about half of patients affected by persistent or recurrent CD, with a low percentage of post-treatment complications. Based on the available literature, SRS emerges as a safe and effective treatment, and its implementation in common clinical practice may play a relevant role in the management of CD. Nevertheless, prospective and standardized studies are needed to thoroughly assess its real potential.

Indexed as

Pituitary ACTH HypersecretionRadiosurgeryHumansPituitary NeoplasmsRecurrenceTreatment OutcomeAdjuvant treatmentCushing’s diseasePersistencePituitary adenomaRadiosurgeryRecurrence

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.