Higher state- and trait-anxiety in patients with pituitary adenomas compared to norm values of healthy controls

• Published in: Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology & Diabetes
• Main Authors: Leistner, S, Dimopoulou, C, Athanasoulia, A, Roemmler-Zehrer, J, Schopohl, J, Stalla, GK, Sievers, C
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: 12.03.2015
• ISSN: 0947-7349; 1439-3646
• DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1547624

Context: Several studies reported psychiatric symptoms, e.g. increased rates of depression, for patients with pituitary adenomas. Objective: Our aim was to explore state- and trait-anxiety in patients with different pituitary adenomas. Moreover we compared patient' anxiety values to norm values of healthy controls. Design: Cross-sectional case-control study. Setting: Endocrine Outpatient Unit of the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry and the Department of Internal Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, in Munich. Participants: We explored patients with Acromegaly ( n = 68), with Non-functioning-pituitary-adenomas (NFMA) ( n = 58), with Cushing disease ( n = 64) and with Prolactinoma ( n = 77) and compared patient' anxiety values to norm values of healthy adults ( n = 1488). All differences between the four patient groups were controlled for differences in sex, age, body-mass-index (BMI) and depression. Main Outcome Measure(s): Depression was measured by the Beck-Depression-Inventory (BDI). State- and trait-anxiety was assessed with the State-Trait-Anxiety-Inventory (STAI). Results: Patients with Acromegaly, NFPA, Cushing-disease and Prolactinoma did not differ in state- and trait-anxiety (trait: F = 1.898, p = 0.130; state: F = 1.897, p = 0.130). But both – men and women with pituitary adenomas showed significantly higher anxiety values compared to the norm values of healthy controls (trait men : t = 17.245, p < 0.001, trait women : t = 16.549, p < 0.001; state men : t = 11.576, p < 0.001, state women : t = 17.532, p < 0.001). Conclusions: These findings emphasize the importance of diagnosing and treating psychiatric symptoms as anxiety in patients with pituitary adenomas.