OBJECTIVE: Patients with prolactinoma seem to be at high risk for osteopenia. 
However, whether patients with various pathological sellar tumors have risk for 
osteopenia remains unclear. The aim of the present study is to assess the bone 
mass alteration in patients with various sellar tumors and further to 
investigate the risk factors of bone mass alteration.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: 65 premenopausal female patients with diverse sellar 
tumors and 325 normal controls were enrolled in this study. Bone mineral density 
(BMD) of lumbar spine and comprehensive endocrinological evaluations were 
undergone.
RESULTS: Compared to the matched controls, BMD of patients with prolactinoma or 
craniopharyngioma significantly decreased. Patients with sellar meningioma and 
nonfunctioning adenoma are with a decreasing tendency and patients with growth 
hormone-secreting adenoma are with an increasing tendency compared to controls. 
Univariate and multivariate regression analysis indicated that the bone loss in 
prolactinomas was significantly correlated to disease duration and hypogonadism.
CONCLUSION: In the premenopausal women, patients with prolactinoma or 
craniopharyngioma are often accompanied with osteopenia or osteoporosis, and 
disease duration and hypogonadism are the risk factors of bone loss in 
prolactinoma. Continuous surveillance of BMD is recommended in patients with 
meningioma or nonfunctioning adenoma.