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Messaoudi N, Assarrar I, Rouf S, Sefiani S, Latrech H. Non-functioning pituitary carcinoma: Case report and literature review. Int J Surg Case Rep 2023; 107:108376. [PMID: 37269766 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2023.108376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE Non-functional pituitary carcinoma is a rare neuroendocrine tumor. It is characterized by the presence of cerebrospinal or distant metastasis of an adenohypophysis tumor without any hypersecretion. Only a few cases of non-functional pituitary carcinomas have been reported in the literature. CASE PRESENTATION In this paper, we report the case of a 48-year-old female patient who presented with spinal pain and a mass facing the second thoracic vertebrae. Spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed the presence of pituitary and bilateral adrenal incidentalomas. The patient was operated and the histopathological examination of the specimen revealed a non-functional pituitary carcinoma variety "Null Cell". DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION There are no clinical, biological, or radiological characteristics that reliably differentiate between non-functional pituitary adenoma and non-functional pituitary carcinoma. Management remains a challenge for clinicians and neurosurgeons. A combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy seems necessary to achieve tumor control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Najoua Messaoudi
- Department of Endocrinology-Diabetology and Nutrition, Mohammed VI University Hospital Center, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mohammed 1st, Oujda, Morocco
| | - Imane Assarrar
- Department of Endocrinology-Diabetology and Nutrition, Mohammed VI University Hospital Center, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mohammed 1st, Oujda, Morocco
| | - Siham Rouf
- Department of Endocrinology-Diabetology and Nutrition, Mohammed VI University Hospital Center, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mohammed 1st, Oujda, Morocco; Laboratory of Epidemiology, Clinical Research and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mohammed first, Oujda, Morocco
| | | | - Hanane Latrech
- Department of Endocrinology-Diabetology and Nutrition, Mohammed VI University Hospital Center, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mohammed 1st, Oujda, Morocco; Laboratory of Epidemiology, Clinical Research and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mohammed first, Oujda, Morocco.
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2
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Coca-Pelaz A, Bishop JA, Zidar N, Agaimy A, Gebrim EMMS, Mondin V, Cohen O, Strojan P, Rinaldo A, Shaha AR, de Bree R, Hamoir M, Mäkitie AA, Kowalski LP, Saba NF, Ferlito A. Cervical Lymph Node Metastases from Central Nervous System Tumors: A Systematic Review. Cancer Manag Res 2022; 14:1099-1111. [PMID: 35300060 PMCID: PMC8921675 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s348102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Lymph node metastasis (LNM) from primary tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) is an infrequent condition, and classically it was thought that CNS tumors could not spread via the lymphatic route. Recent discoveries about this route of dissemination make its knowledge necessary for surgeons and pathologists to avoid delays in diagnosis and unnecessary treatments. The aim of this paper is to review the literature and to discuss the relevant pathogenetic mechanism and the cytologic features along with recommendations for surgical treatment of these cervical LNM. Materials and Methods Using PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review of the literature published from 1944 to 2021, updating the comprehensive review published in 2010 by our group. Results Our review includes data of 143 articles obtaining 174 patients with LNM from a primary CNS tumor. The mean age of the patients was 31.9 years (range, 0.1–87) and there were 61 females (35.1%) and 103 males (59.2%), and in 10 cases (5.7%) the gender was not specified. The more frequent sites of distant metastasis were bones (23%), lungs (11.5%) and non-cervical lymph nodes (11%). Conclusion Cervical LNM from CNS tumors is infrequent. Pathologic diagnosis can be obtained by fine-needle aspiration cytology in most cases, giving surgeons the option to plan the appropriate surgical treatment. Given the poor prognosis of these cases, the most conservative possible cervical dissection is usually the treatment of choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Coca-Pelaz
- Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias-University of Oviedo, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, IUOPA, CIBERONC, Oviedo (Asturias), Spain
- Correspondence: Andrés Coca-Pelaz, Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias-University of Oviedo, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, IUOPA, CIBERONC, Avenida de Roma s/n, Oviedo (Asturias), 33011, Spain, Email
| | - Justin A Bishop
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Nina Zidar
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Abbas Agaimy
- Institute of Pathology, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, University Hospital, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Eloisa Maria Mello Santiago Gebrim
- Otorhinolaryngology Department, National Institute of Rehabilitation, Mexico City, Mexico
- Radiology Department, Hospital das Clínicas, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vanni Mondin
- ENT Clinic, Policlinico Città di Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Oded Cohen
- ARM - Center for Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology, Assuta Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Affiliated with Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Primož Strojan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Institute of Oncology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | - Ashok R Shaha
- Head and Neck Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Remco de Bree
- Department of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The NetherlAnds
| | - Marc Hamoir
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, UC Louvain, St Luc University Hospital and King Albert II Cancer Institute, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Antti A Mäkitie
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Luiz P Kowalski
- Head and Neck Surgery and Otorhinolaryngology Department, A C Camargo Cancer Center and Department of Head and Neck Surgery, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nabil F Saba
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, The Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Alfio Ferlito
- International Head and Neck Scientific Group, Padua, Italy
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3
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Alshaikh OM, Asa SL, Mete O, Ezzat S. An Institutional Experience of Tumor Progression to Pituitary Carcinoma in a 15-Year Cohort of 1055 Consecutive Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumors. Endocr Pathol 2019; 30:118-127. [PMID: 30706322 DOI: 10.1007/s12022-019-9568-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Pituitary carcinoma is a rare disease, defined by the presence of cerebrospinal or distant metastasis of a pituitary neuroendocrine tumor (PitNET). To review our institutional experience of pituitary carcinoma, we searched the database of the UHN Endocrine Oncology Site group and the University Health Network pathology laboratory information system from 2001 to 2016. Among 1055 PitNETs from 1169 transsphenoidal resections, we identified 4 cases of pituitary carcinoma, indicating that pituitary carcinoma represents around 0.4% of PitNETs. All four patients were women. The age at initial presentation ranged from 23 to 54 years. Two patients had Cushing disease with corticotroph tumors; one was initially a densely granulated corticotroph tumor that evolved to become sparsely granulated, while the other was a Crooke cell tumor. One patient had a functioning sparsely granulated lactotroph tumor and one had a clinically silent poorly differentiated PIT1 lineage tumor. Apart from a relatively high Ki67 labeling index (≥ 10%) in three tumors, there were no cytomorphologic features at the time of initial presentation that could predict subsequent metastatic behavior. The time from diagnosis of the pituitary neuroendocrine tumor to the diagnosis of malignancy was 3 to 14 years. Therapies included somatostatin analogs, external beam radiotherapy, chemotherapies including capecitabine/temozolomide, everolimus, sunitinib, bevacizumab, and peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT). One patient died of disease 18 years after initial diagnosis, underscoring the protracted course of this ultimately fatal neuroendocrine malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omalkhaire M Alshaikh
- Department of Medicine, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Al Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sylvia L Asa
- Department of Pathology, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ozgur Mete
- Department of Pathology, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shereen Ezzat
- Department of Medicine, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, 610 University Avenue, Room 7-327, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9, Canada.
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Abstract
Non-functioning pituitary carcinomas (NFPC) are defined as tumours of adenophyseal origin with craniospinal or systemic dissemination, with the absence of a hormonal hypersecretion syndrome. These are a histologically heterogenous group of tumours, comprising gonadotroph, null cell, "silent" tumours of corticotroph, somatotroph or lactotroph cell lineages as well as plurihormonal Pit-1 tumours. NFPC are exceedingly rare, and hence few cases have been described. This review has identified 38 patients with NFPC reported in the literature. Recurrent invasive non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFPA) were observed in a majority of patients. Various factors have been identified as markers of the potential for aggressive behaviour, including rapid tumour growth, growth after radiotherapy, gain or shift of hormone secretion and raised proliferative markers. Typically, there is a latency of several years from the original presentation with an NFPA to identification of metastases and only 5 cases reported with rapidly progressive malignant disease within 1 month of presentation. Therapeutic options include debulking surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy with temozolomide recommended as first line systemic treatment. Although long-term survivors are described, prognosis remains generally very poor (median survival 8 months). Improvements in molecular tumour profiling may assist in predicting tumour behaviour, guide therapeutic choices and identify novel therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nèle Lenders
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
- Department of Endocrinology, St Vincent's Hospital, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Ann McCormack
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia.
- Department of Endocrinology, St Vincent's Hospital, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
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5
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Oh MC, Tihan T, Kunwar S, Blevins L, Aghi MK. Clinical Management of Pituitary Carcinomas. Neurosurg Clin N Am 2012; 23:595-606. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nec.2012.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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6
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Mondin V, Ferlito A, Devaney KO, Woolgar JA, Rinaldo A. A survey of metastatic central nervous system tumors to cervical lymph nodes. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2010; 267:1657-66. [PMID: 20694730 DOI: 10.1007/s00405-010-1357-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2010] [Accepted: 07/26/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
In the realm of head and neck diseases, one particularly common clinical presentation is that of the patient with a cervical mass. In children, neck masses often prove to be developmental cysts; in adults, the recent onset of a neck mass can signal a metastasis from a head and neck squamous carcinoma. Less often, both adults and children may present with cervical masses caused by either non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or Hodgkin's disease. There are, of course, less frequently encountered differential diagnostic possibilities; one of the most uncommon of all is the possibility of metastasis from an intracranial tumor. Intracranial tumors rarely give rise to cervical node metastases. The present review examines the published experience with 128 tumors that gave rise to cervical node metastases in both adult and in pediatric patients. While it is presumed that the blood-brain barrier blocks the spread of most tumors beyond the intracranial locale, this is speculative. Although many of the cervical node metastases reported here arose after craniotomy (and, presumably, after breaching of the blood-brain barrier), some arose in the absence of any preceding surgical procedure. Cervical node metastases may arise from glial tumors (including glioblastoma multiforme, in both adult and pediatric patients) and non-glial tumors (such as medulloblastoma in pediatric patients). The history of a previous intracranial lesion is often the key to correct diagnosis, since, without prompting, neither the pathologist nor the radiologist is likely to think of a cervical node metastasis from a brain tumor when assessing a cervical mass of unknown etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanni Mondin
- Department of Surgical Sciences, ENT Clinic, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
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7
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Roncaroli F, Scheithauer BW, Horvath E, Erickson D, Tam CK, Lloyd RV, Kovacs K. Silent subtype 3 carcinoma of the pituitary: a case report. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2009; 36:90-4. [PMID: 19811617 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2990.2009.01043.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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8
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Sidibé EH. [Pituitary carcinoma. Anatomic and clinical features of cases reported in literature]. Neurochirurgie 2007; 53:284-8. [PMID: 17524431 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2007.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2006] [Accepted: 01/04/2007] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Pituitary gland tumors that became aggressive, implying adjacent bone structure and the brain as metastases outside of the cranial box, are referred to as pituitary carcinomas. METHODS We reviewed 67 cases reported in the literature [44 corticotropic pituitary tumors, 11 PRL tumors, 3 GH tumors, 1 TSH tumor, 3 gonadotropic cell tumors and 5 non-functioning tumors]. RESULTS The corticotropic tumors occurred in 23 female and 15 males. Signs of hypercorticism were characteristic: generalized melanosis before adrenalectomy (N=1); headache (N=1); altered visual (N=1); diabetes insipidus (N=1); amenorrhea (N=1); Cushing syndrome (N=2); weight loss (N=1); refractory hypokaliemic alkalosis (N=1); diabetes mellitus (N=1); hypertension (N=1). ACTH, beta-lipotrophin, betaendorphin, alphamelano-stimulating hormone, CRH, and beta-gamma MSH were contributive while ultrastructural microscopy provided little information, as did an equimolar Lph/ACTH ratio. The possible association of prolactin tumors with corticotrophin forms has been underlined. The characteristic feature is a time interval from the initial diagnosis of adenoma to that of cancer, which has ranged from 0.3 to 18 years (mean: 6.6 years; median: 5.0 years). CONCLUSION Corticotropic tumors resistance to high-dose medical treatment are usually aggressive tumors with a risk of recurrence after surgical treatment or even radiotherapy with the risk of metastases. GH tumors appear to predominate although it is known that these cancers can develop in association with corticotrophin cancers or with prolactin cell tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- E H Sidibé
- Département des sciences médicales, université Paris-VII, France.
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9
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To report a rare case of metastatic growth hormone (GH)-secreting pituitary carcinoma causing acromegaly. METHODS We present a case report and review the available literature on this topic. RESULTS A 68-year-old woman presented with persistent acromegaly after treatment for a GH-secreting pituitary adenoma. Evaluation of long-standing cervical adenopathy revealed findings consistent with a metastatic neuroendocrine tumor. Further work-up revealed additional thyroid, parathyroid, and cervical masses. After operative treatment including total thyroidectomy, subtotal parathyroidectomy, partial thymectomy, and right modified radical neck dissection, the patient's symptoms diminished, and her GH levels approached the normal range. Surgical pathology findings were consistent with a GH-secreting pituitary carcinoma metastatic to the cervical lymph nodes, multinodular thyroid hyperplasia with a focus of papillary microcarcinoma, and parathyroid hyperplasia. CONCLUSION Overall, pituitary carcinomas are extremely rare. To date, about 100 cases have been reported in the world's literature, and of these, only 19 cases originated from GH-secreting cells. Our examination of the symptoms, signs, diagnosis, and treatment of our patient, in comparison with the previously reported cases, should enhance awareness of this unusual disease process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele A Manahan
- Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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10
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Lopes MBS, Scheithauer BW, Schiff D. Pituitary carcinoma: diagnosis and treatment. Endocrine 2005; 28:115-21. [PMID: 16311418 DOI: 10.1385/endo:28:1:115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2005] [Accepted: 06/18/2005] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Pituitary carcinomas are rare pituitary tumors that by definition have cerebrospinal and/or systemic metastases. Most of the tumors occur in the setting of multiple recurrences of invasive pituitary adenomas. This article reviews the clinical presentation of these tumors, their neuroimaging and pathological features, tumor pathogenesis, and possible treatment modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Beatriz S Lopes
- Department of Pathology (Neuropathology), University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
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11
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Abstract
Pituitary carcinomas, defined as distant metastases of a pituitary neoplasm, are rare; fewer than 140 reports exist in the English literature. The initial presenting pituitary tumor is usually a secreting, invasive macroadenoma, with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)--and prolactin (PRL)--secreting tumors being the most common. The latency period between the diagnosis of a pituitary tumor and the diagnosis of a pituitary carcinoma is 9.5 years for ACTH-producing lesions and 4.7 years for PRL-secreting tumors. Survival after documentation of metastatic disease is poor; 66% of patients die within 1 year. Treatment options include additional surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, all of which are associated with poor results. Future studies will focus on identifying those invasive pituitary tumors most likely to metastasize and treating them aggressively before they progress to pituitary carcinomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian T Ragel
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132, USA
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12
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Lehman NL, Horoupian DS, Harsh GR. Synchronous subarachnoid drop metastases from a pituitary adenoma with multiple recurrences. Case report. J Neurosurg 2003; 98:1120-3. [PMID: 12744376 DOI: 10.3171/jns.2003.98.5.1120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The authors report the case of a 49-year-old man with synchronous drop metastases from a multiply recurrent somatotroph pituitary adenoma. The metastatic lesions were found in the subarachnoid space of the cauda equina and foramen magnum 18 years after the initial diagnosis of the disease. Five transsphenoidal resections had previously failed to cure the sellar tumor. Two of these, performed 4 and 5 years before the patient's current presentation, had been complicated by cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea that necessitated lumbar drainage. Resections of the two subarachnoid lesions, separated by 14 months, removed pathologically aggressive pituitary adenomas. There were no signs of local recurrence or subarachnoid dissemination of disease during the postoperative follow-up periods, which lasted 18 and 4 months, respectively. Previous cases of subarachnoid spread of a pituitary adenoma have been associated with multiple intracranial metastases, multiple intraspinal metastases, or widely disseminated disease. This case demonstrates that subarachnoid metastasis of a pituitary adenoma, particularly when it follows multiple operations, is not invariably widely disseminated or associated with a very poor prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norman L Lehman
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
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13
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Gaffey TA, Scheithauer BW, Lloyd RV, Burger PC, Robbins P, Fereidooni F, Horvath E, Kovacs K, Kuroki T, Young WF, Sebo TJ, Riehle DL, Belzberg AJ. Corticotroph carcinoma of the pituitary: a clinicopathological study. Report of four cases. J Neurosurg 2002; 96:352-60. [PMID: 11838811 DOI: 10.3171/jns.2002.96.2.0352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
To understand the relationship between pituitary adenoma and carcinoma, four adrenocorticotropic hormone-producing pituitary adenomas and corresponding metastatic carcinomas were studied. All were functional macroadenomas (three cases of Nelson syndrome and one of Cushing disease) that initially invaded the sella turcica and occurred in women ranging in age from 17 to 66 years (mean 45 years). Metastases (two craniospinal and two systemic) occurred after latency periods of 6 to 13 years. Histological specimens were immunostained for pituitary hormones, Ki-67 antigen (MIB-1), p53 and p27 proteins, D-type cyclins, and glucocorticoid receptor messenger (m)RNA. The DNA content of the specimens was assessed using Feulgen stain. Reactivities were quantified by digital image analysis. Primary/recurrent lesions and metastatic tumors differed according to their respective mean mitotic indices (1.2/10 hpf compared with 4.3/10 hpf), MIB-1 labeling (1.7% compared with 8%), p53 staining (37.3% compared with 49.9%), and p27 labeling (48% compared with 25%). Cyclin D, immunoreactivity provided no prognostically significant information. Glucocorticoid receptor mRNA was detected in all cases. Results of a ploidy analysis were variable and nonprognostic. In keeping with the 2000 World Health Organization classification of endocrine neoplasms, our findings support the concept that primary tumors that exhibit mitotic activity, an increased (> 3%) MIB-1 labeling index, and/or p53 immunoreactivity should be termed "atypical adenomas" to denote their aggressive potential and the possibility of future malignant transformation.
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Ahmed M, Kanaan I, Alarifi A, Ba-Essa E, Saleem M, Tulbah A, McArthur P, Hessler R. ACTH-producing pituitary cancer: experience at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre. Pituitary 2000; 3:105-12. [PMID: 11141693 DOI: 10.1023/a:1009957824871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Pituitary gland is an uncommon site of a primary cancer. Of more than 600 cases of pituitary tumors seen at the KFSH&RC between 1975 to 1998 only 3 patients had primary pituitary cancer. We have previously reported a case of pituitary fibrosarcoma arising as a rare complication of external radiotherapy (ERT) for GH-secreting pituitary adenoma (PA) [1]. We report now 2 cases of ACTH-producing primary pituitary carcinoma (ACTH-PPC); their follow-up data provide information on the natural history of this cancer. Patient #1; a 46 year old lady with Cushing's disease (CD) presented with an enlarged right cervical lymph node (LN) 2 years after having undergone a partial hypophysectomy through transsphenoidal surgery (PHYPX/TSS) and ERT for an invasive pituitary tumor. Patient #2; a 26 year old man presented with CD and underwent bilateral adrenalectomy (ADx) and pituitary ERT. Thirty-nine months later he developed Nelson's syndrome and a PHYPX/TSS was performed. Incidentally discovered hepatic metastases in this patient and an excisional biopsy of the LN in patient #1 showed histological features very similar to the pituitary tumor, and they stained strongly positive for ACTH. Perinuclear spherical hyalinized cytoplasmic inclusions were seen in the LN biopsy that corresponded to bundles of type 1 microfilaments (specific for pituitary ACTH-producing cells) seen by electron microscopy. A whole body 18-Fluoro-2-Deoxy-D-Glucose positron emission (FDG-PET) scanning, showed an intense uptake in the neck mass. A trial of octreotide did not change the exceedingly high levels of ACTH in patient #2, further supporting the diagnosis of ACTH-PPC. The clinical course of 102 months prior to his demise showed continued progression of the primary and the metastatic tumor. Patient #1, is alive at 15 months follow-up; hypercortisolemia is controlled using ketoconazole. ACTH-PPC should be entertained in a patient with CD presenting with persistent cervical lymphadenopathy. The clinical course in our patients suggests that the emergence of PC may involve a proliferative continuum from a pre-existing PA to an invasive tumor, culminating in a carcinoma. Adjunctive events such as ERT/ADx may predispose to the evolution of PC in genetically susceptible individuals. Because ERT is an effective treatment for PA its use will continue; it is important to be aware of the possible complication of primary pituitary carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ahmed
- Department of Medicine (MBC-46), King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre P.O. Box 3354, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia.
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15
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McCutcheon IE, Pieper DR, Fuller GN, Benjamin RS, Friend KE, Gagel RF. Pituitary carcinoma containing gonadotropins: treatment by radical excision and cytotoxic chemotherapy: case report. Neurosurgery 2000; 46:1233-9; discussion 1239-40. [PMID: 10807257 DOI: 10.1097/00006123-200005000-00042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE Pituitary carcinomas are extremely rare. Cases reported in the medical literature in the 20th century included tumors that produced adrenocorticotropic hormone, prolactin, growth hormone, and/or thyrotropin. CLINICAL PRESENTATION Here we present a 22-year-old woman with a pituitary carcinoma that was immunohistochemically positive for luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone at both the primary and metastatic sites. The patient exhibited elevated serum levels of alpha-subunit. INTERVENTION The patient had experienced failure of previous treatments, including standard surgery and radiotherapy, and presented to us for radical resection of the tumor, with exenteration of the involved cavernous sinus. She was pretreated with cytotoxic chemotherapy and continued to receive this therapy after surgery. CONCLUSION This is the only documented case of a gonadotropin-staining pituitary carcinoma for which hormone production was proven in both the primary and metastatic tumors. Many benign "nonsecreting" pituitary adenomas actually produce subclinical amounts of gonadotropins, and malignant nonfunctional pituitary neoplasms may do the same.
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Affiliation(s)
- I E McCutcheon
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA.
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16
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Affiliation(s)
- G A Kaltsas
- Department of Endocrinology, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, U.K
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17
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Pernicone PJ, Scheithauer BW, Sebo TJ, Kovacs KT, Horvath E, Young WF, Lloyd RV, Davis DH, Guthrie BL, Schoene WC. Pituitary carcinoma: a clinicopathologic study of 15 cases. Cancer 1997; 79:804-12. [PMID: 9024719 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19970215)79:4<804::aid-cncr18>3.0.co;2-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 293] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pituitary carcinomas are rare adenohypophysial neoplasms, the definition, diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis of which are controversial. METHODS Pituitary carcinomas were defined as primary adenohypophysial neoplasms with documented craniospinal and/or systemic metastases. The authors report a clinicopathologic study of 15 examples examined by light microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and image analysis. Both proliferative activity and p53 tumor suppressor gene expression were studied. RESULTS The study group consisted of 15 patients, including 8 males and 7 females ranging in age from 34-71 years (mean, 56 years). Of these patients, seven had adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-producing tumors (four in the context of Nelson's syndrome), seven had prolactin-producing tumors, and one had a nonfunctioning tumor. No evidence of diabetes insipidus was seen in any case. Fourteen tumors were initially considered macroadenomas. Of the ten cases for whom tumor extent was known, all had invasive tumors. The interval from the initial diagnosis of adenoma to that of carcinoma ranged from 0.3 to 18.0 years (mean, 6.6 years; median, 5.0 years); the longest mean interval (15.3 years) occurred for patients with Nelson's syndrome. The latency was twice as long for ACTH-producing tumors as for prolactin (PRL) cell tumors (9.5 vs. 4.7 years). All carcinomas showed a greater tendency toward systemic metastasis than craniospinal metastasis; the rate of systemic metastasis was 71% for PRL cell tumors and 57% for ACTH-producing tumors. Thirteen percent of tumors showed both patterns of metastasis. Fully 50% of primary tumors and the majority of metastases showed nuclear pleomorphism and/or hyperchromasia. The mean mitotic, MIB-1, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen indices for primary tumors and metastases were as follows: 2/10 high-power field (hpf), 2.6% and 11%, respectively; 6/10 hpf, 7.8% and 16%, respectively. Staining for p53 protein was noted in 57% of primary tumors and 88% of metastatic tumors; a relative increase in p53 expression in metastases was noted in 83%. All but one of the primary and metastatic tumors were aneuploid. The most common treatments were radiation therapy and, for PRL cell carcinomas, dopamine agonist administration. Both treatments provided only palliation. Eighty percent of the patients died of metastatic disease 7 days to 8 years after the diagnosis of carcinoma; of these, 66% died within 1 year. At last follow-up, 20% of patients were alive with metastases 9-18 months after diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS Nearly all pituitary carcinomas present as functioning, microscopically atypical or mitotically active, invasive macroadenomas. By definition, after an interval related to their immunotype, all metastasize. The tumors show a greater tendency toward systemic metastasis than craniospinal metastasis and are associated with poor prognosis. Radiation and dopamine agonist therapy generally provide only palliation. Proliferation indices and p53 expression tend to be higher in metastases than in primary tumors. The current definition of pituitary carcinoma requires the demonstration of metastasis; however, high mitotic and MIB-1 labeling indices as well as p53 immunoreactivity suggest the diagnosis and appear to be of prognostic significance. A redefinition of aggressive pituitary tumors is proposed--one that facilitates the recognition of tumors prone to metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- P J Pernicone
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA
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Abstract
Pituitary carcinomas are defined by their metastatic growth. Most of them also invade into surrounding tissues. They should be classified by the site of their metastases (cerebrospinal, systemic, or combined) and by the presumable cell type of origin, respectively with the hormone being demonstrable by immunohistochemistry (adrenocorticotrophic hormone [ACTH], prolactin [PRL], growth hormone [GH], hormone-negative). Pituitary carcinomas develop from invasive adenomas. Nearly all tumors had been treated by surgery or X-ray before they metastasized. Since 1976, 37 cases demonstrated with modern methods were reported: 23 had metastasized into the brain or meninges, 10 showed extracerebral metastases, and 4 showed both types of metastases. In our collection of pituitary tumors, three carcinomas (0.13%) were identified: two with systemic metastases (one ACTH secreting and one PRL secreting) and one with meningeal dissemination and ACTH production. The diagnosis of pituitary carcinomas should be based on four criteria: a demonstrable metastasis, identification of the primary tumor as a pituitary tumor, similarity between the structure and immunohistological marker expression of metastasis and primary tumor, and exclusion of an alternative primary tumor.
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Gollard R, Kosty M, Cheney C, Copeland B, Bordin G. Prolactin-secreting pituitary carcinoma with implants in the cheek pouch and metastases to the ovaries. A case report and literature review. Cancer 1995; 76:1814-20. [PMID: 8625053 DOI: 10.1002/1097-0142(19951115)76:10<1814::aid-cncr2820761021>3.0.co;2-t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prolactin-secreting pituitary carcinomas are uncommon, locally destructive neoplasms that rarely metastasize outside the central nervous system. The authors report a case of a prolactin-secreting tumor that initially presented as the empty sella syndrome. Two recurrences along transsphenoidal surgery tracts in cheek pouches were followed by distant metastases later in the abdomen and pelvis. Only 10 previous cases of either extracranial or intracranial metastases from prolactin-secreting pituitary carcinomas have been reported. No metastases below the diaphragm have been reported previously. METHODS The patient's cheek pouch implants, lymph node metastases, ovarian metastases, and uterine metastases were studied with prolactin-specific immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Long term treatment with bromocriptine, several debulking surgeries, extensive local radiation therapy (external beam and proton beam), and cytotoxic chemotherapy had little impact. Tamoxifen, however, may have slowed tumor growth. CONCLUSION Tamoxifen may have efficacy in the treatment of prolactin-secreting pituitary carcinomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Gollard
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
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Beauchesne P, Trouillas J, Barral F, Brunon J. Gonadotropic pituitary carcinoma: case report. Neurosurgery 1995; 37:810-5; discussion 815-6. [PMID: 8559312 DOI: 10.1227/00006123-199510000-00027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
A 37-year-old man developed multiple intracranial, intraspinal, and general metastases from an invasive nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma after surgery and radiation therapy. This is the first gonadotropic pituitary carcinoma reported in literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Beauchesne
- Service de Neurochirurgie et Neuroradiologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Saint-Etienne, France
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Jamjoom A, Moss T, Coakham H, Jamjoom ZA, Anthony P. Cervical lymph nodes metastases from a pituitary carcinoma. Br J Neurosurg 1994; 8:87-92. [PMID: 8011201 DOI: 10.3109/02688699409002399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The authors report a case of a pituitary carcinoma which was locally invasive and which metastasized to cervical lymph nodes more than 9 years after the initial presentation. Cells from the tumour and metastasis immunostained with antibodies to prolactin and growth hormone, even though there was no clinical or biochemical evidence that the tumour was secreting prolactin or growth hormone. In addition, ultrastructural studies showed a monomorphic tumour with secretory granules much smaller than those normally associated with prolactin and growth hormone secretion. The clinical and pathological features suggest that the tumour is probably an acidophil stem cell adenoma, which although known to be aggressive in its clinical behaviour has not been previously reported to metastasize.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Jamjoom
- Division of Neurosurgery, King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudia Arabia
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Lévesque H, Fréger P, Gancel A, Tayot J, Courtois H. [Primary carcinoma of the pituitary gland with Cushing's syndrome and metastases. Apropos of a case with review of the literature]. Rev Med Interne 1991; 12:209-12. [PMID: 1896714 DOI: 10.1016/s0248-8663(05)83174-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
We report the case of a 25 year old man with pituitary carcinoma with Cushing's syndrome. Though the diagnosis was initially proposed, it was only confirmed by the appearance of meningeal and lymphatic metastases. These were secretory, as confirmed by immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy. These tumours are rare, whether they secrete or not, and can be confirmed only by the existence of metastases, most often in the brain or the liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Lévesque
- Service de Médecine Interne, CHU Rouen-Boisguillaume
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Mountcastle RB, Roof BS, Mayfield RK, Mordes DB, Sagel J, Biggs PJ, Rawe SE. Pituitary adenocarcinoma in an acromegalic patient: response to bromocriptine and pituitary testing: a review of the literature on 36 cases of pituitary carcinoma. Am J Med Sci 1989; 298:109-18. [PMID: 2669475 DOI: 10.1097/00000441-198908000-00007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
There are 36 reported cases of metastatic pituitary carcinoma and almost half (44%) of these were associated with syndromes of hormonal hypersecretion. The case of a 56-year-old acromegalic man with cervical lymphatic and spinal metastases from a primary pituitary carcinoma is described. Elevated basal levels of plasma growth hormone (GH) and insulin growth factor-1/Somatomedin C (IGF-1/SmC) were found. GH levels did not increase after TRH or LHRH administration but decreased after L-Dopa and glucose. Immunostaining of the metastatic tumor for GH and electron microscopy findings confirmed the diagnosis of pituitary GH-secreting carcinoma. Striking clinical improvement and a 46% decrease in plasma GH levels were observed with bromocriptine treatment, although IGF-1/SmC levels increased during therapy. The clinical course of most reported cases of pituitary adenocarcinoma has been one of progressive intracranial expansion of a pituitary neoplasm. In only 25% were metastatic lesions discovered antemortem, and disabling symptomatology caused by metastases was rare. Only four previously reported patients of 36 with pituitary carcinoma had acromegaly.
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Affiliation(s)
- R B Mountcastle
- Veterans Administration Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina
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