Is there any gender difference in epidemiology, clinical presentation and co-morbidities of non-functioning pituitary adenomas? A prospective survey of a National Referral Center and review of the literature.

Apart from the possible delay in the diagnosis induced by the gender differences in symptom presentation, the higher prevalence of macroadenomas amongst NFPA in males compared with females let to hypothesize a key role of the sex hormone profile as predictive factors of their biological behavior and metabolic profile. Further studies are, however, mandatory to better support the influence of gender differences on onset, progression, and metabolic consequences of NFPA.