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Case Report
Available online 6 February 2026

Diagnosis and surgical management of a pituitary adenoma coexisting with a persistent trigeminal artery: Case report and review of the literature

Diagnóstico y tratamiento quirúrgico de adenoma hipofisario coexistente con arteria trigeminal persistente: a propósito de un caso y revisión de la literatura
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Loreto Esteban Estalloa,
Corresponding author
loretoestebanestallo@gmail.com

Corresponding authors.
, Amanda Avedillo Ruidiaza,
Corresponding author
aavedillo@salud.aragon.es

Corresponding authors.
, Silvia Vázquez Sufuentesb, Miguel Barrera Rojasa, David Fustero de Miguela
a Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain
b Hospital Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
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Abstract

The persistent trigeminal artery (PTA) is the most frequent embryonic carotid–basilar anastomosis, with an incidence of 0.1–1%. Its coexistence with pituitary adenomas is extremely rare and may pose a significant surgical risk if unrecognized preoperatively. We describe a 58-year-old man incidentally diagnosed with a nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenoma compressing the optic chiasm. Computed tomography angiography demonstrated a PTA in close contact with the tumor's inferior aspect. Endoscopic endonasal resection was performed with neuronavigation and intraoperative Doppler ultrasound, enabling direct visualization and preservation of the artery. A small remnant firmly adherent to the vessel was intentionally left. This case highlights the importance of preoperative identification of vascular variants such as PTA. It also emphasizes the meticulous surgical planning to achieve safe pituitary tumor resection in the presence of high-risk vascular anomalies.

Keywords:
Endoscopic endonasal approach
Intrasellar lesion
Persistent trigeminal artery
Pituitary adenoma
Preoperative imaging
Vascular anomaly
Abbreviations:
ACTH
AICA
BMI
CT
CTA
FSH
GH
IGF1
LH
MRI
PCoA
PCA
PICA
PRL
PTA
SCA
TSH
T4L
US
Resumen

La arteria trigeminal persistente (ATP) es la anastomosis embriológica más frecuente entre los sistemas carotídeo y vertebrobasilar, con una incidencia estimada en adultos entre el 0,1% y el 1%. Su asociación con adenomas hipofisarios es extremadamente rara y puede suponer un riesgo quirúrgico significativo si no se reconoce en la planificación preoperatoria. Presentamos el caso de un varón de 58 años diagnosticado incidentalmente de un macroadenoma hipofisario no funcionante con compresión del quiasma óptico. La angiografía por tomografía computarizada mostró una ATP en estrecho contacto con la porción inferior del tumor. Se realizó una resección endoscópica endonasal con apoyo de neuronavegación y Doppler intraoperatorio, que permitió la visualización directa y preservación de la arteria, dejando intencionadamente un pequeño resto firmemente adherido a ella. Este caso subraya la importancia de la identificación preoperatoria de variantes vasculares como la ATP y de una planificación quirúrgica meticulosa para lograr una resección segura de los tumores hipofisarios en presencia de anomalías vasculares de alto riesgo.

Palabras clave:
Abordaje endoscópico endonasal
Lesión intraselar
Arteria trigeminal persistente
Adenoma hipofisario
Imagen preoperatoria
Anomalía vascular

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