1/11. Hypophyseal tuberculoma: direct radiosurgery is contraindicated for a lesion with a thickened pituitary stalk: case report.OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Hypophyseal tuberculomas are extremely rare lesions. The recognition of hypophyseal tuberculomas in the differential diagnosis of pituitary tumors is important, even with no evidence of systemic tuberculosis. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 27-year-old female patient presented with continuous, dull, generalized headaches and amenorrhea, with no history of visual diminution, galactorrhea, or endocrinological abnormalities and no evidence of systemic tuberculosis. The patient exhibited a normal water balance, without polyuria or polydipsia. A gynecological examination, including an endometrial biopsy for amenorrhea, did not reveal any abnormalities. Perimetric and endocrinological examination results were normal. Contrast magnetic resonance imaging revealed a dense enhancing intrasellar mass, with thickening of the pituitary stalk. INTERVENTION: Sublabial rhinoseptal transsphenoidal decompression of the lesion was performed. The histopathological features were consistent with a diagnosis of tuberculoma, and acid-fast bacilli were demonstrated in the surgically removed tissue with Ziehl-Neelsen staining. As soon as the histopathological features were known, the patient underwent a lumbar puncture for cerebrospinal fluid analysis, which indicated normal findings. An intradermal tuberculin test yielded negative results. The patient was treated with medical therapy for 18 months, and complete resolution of the lesion was observed in follow-up examinations. CONCLUSION: Hypophyseal tuberculomas are often mistaken for pituitary adenomas. The finding of a thickened pituitary stalk in contrast magnetic resonance imaging scans may be useful for the differentiation of these lesions from pituitary adenomas. Direct radiosurgery is not an appropriate primary treatment method for pituitary adenomas and is principally restricted to elderly, medically unfit patients with microadenomas and patients with residual or recurrent tumors after microsurgery. It is contraindicated for patients who exhibit a thickened pituitary stalk in contrast magnetic resonance imaging scans.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = galactorrhea (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/11. Extensive spherical amyloid deposition presenting as a pituitary tumor.A 71-yr-old man was admitted for further evaluation and trans-sphenoidal surgery of a pituitary tumor. He complained of impotence and decreased libido over a period of about 40 yr. Thirty-eight yr ago he was treated for bilateral gynecomastia with galactorrhea. Endocrinological investigation at presentation revealed only mild hyperprolactinemia and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Pituitary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a tumor up to 2.5 cm in diameter with infiltration of the sphenoid sinus and right cavernous sinus. The tumor exhibited a heterogeneous hyperintense signal on T1-weighted images and hypointense signal on T2-weighted images. Standard trans-sphenoidal surgery was performed and a brownish mass was found inside the sella, which was removed. Histological examination of the mass revealed extensive spherical amyloid deposits with strongly positive immunohistochemical staining for prolactin. Therefore, a prolactinoma with extensive spherical amyloid deposition was diagnosed. Extensive spherical amyloid deposition is a rare finding in prolactin-secreting pituitary adenomas. So far, characteristic radiological findings by MRI have been described only twice. Due to characteristic MRI findings, the diagnosis of extensive intrasellar amyloid deposition can be entertained pre-operatively. Trans-sphenoidal surgical resection is essential to confirm the diagnosis histologically and because of the potential lack of tumor shrinkage under dopaminagonist therapy in this type of prolactinoma.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = galactorrhea (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/11. A case of cystic lymphocytic hypophysitis with cacosmia and hypopituitarism.Lymphocytic hypophysitis is a rare inflammatory disease of the pituitary gland that is being increasingly recognized as a cause of hypopituitarism. This condition may be due to an autoimmune pituitary destruction which usually occurs in young women during pregnancy or in the immediate postpartum period. We describe a case of cystic pituitary mass in a thirty-eight year-old woman presenting with nausea, vomiting, cold intolerance, blurring of vision and the presence of disagreeable odors for a one-month period. She had secondary amenorrhea and galactorrhea for three months. Combined anterior pituitary stimulation test confirmed the diagnosis of hypopituitarism. magnetic resonance imaging scan with enhancement showed a huge cystic sellar mass with suprasellar extension and thickening of the pituitary stalk. Transsphenoidal exploration was performed with preoperative diagnosis of pituitary macroadenoma with cystic necrosis. Histological examination revealed lymphocytic hypophysitis characteristic of diffuse, dense lymphocytes and plasma cells infiltration with surrounding interstitial reactive fibrosis. Postoperatively, the patient's olfactory function returned to normal but combined anterior pituitary stimulation test showed persistence of hypopituitarism with mild hyperprolactinemia. prednisolone, thyroxine and estrogen replacements were started and clinical symptoms were much improved. In summary, we report an extremely rare case of a woman with cystic lymphocytic hypophysitis with cacosmia and hypopituitarism, confirmed by histological examination.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = galactorrhea (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/11. Concurrent lymphocytic hypophysitis and pituitary adenoma. Case report and review of the literature.Lymphocytic hypophysitis (LyH) is an uncommon intrasellar lesion characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of the adenohypophysis. Evidence suggests that the cause is autoimmune, and the symptoms are usually related to either a mass effect or endocrine dysfunction. Lymphocytic hypophysitis has been described rarely in the setting of other simultaneous pathological processes that involve the pituitary and sella turcica, and is postulated to arise from an intrinsic inflammatory response. The authors report the case of a 43-year-old woman who presented with a 2-month history of galactorrhea and pseudohyperprolactinemia secondary to a 10-mm lesion within an enlarged pituitary gland. She was nulliparous and had no contributory medical history. Serial neuroimaging performed over a 2-year period demonstrated lesion growth, and visual deficits had developed; together these warranted surgical intervention. A transsphenoidal resection was performed. Microscopic and immunohistopathological examinations revealed a nonsecreting pituitary adenoma with concurrent lymphocytic adenohypophysitis. This is the first documented case of LyH in the setting of a null-cell pituitary adenoma. The authors review the related literature and outline potential mechanisms for the concurrent development of LyH and a pituitary adenoma.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = galactorrhea (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/11. A case of sparsely granulated growth hormone cell adenoma associated with lymphocytic hypophysitis.Lymphocytic hypophysitis is in itself rare and usually occurs in the postpartum period or the last trimester of pregnancy. It has not been described in combination with a pituitary tumor. A twenty-two year old woman, who had never been pregnant, presented with a history of nine months amenorrhea and spontaneous galactorrhea. She was not taking any medication and had never used oral contraceptives. physical examination was unremarkable except that whitish fluid could be expressed from both breasts. Her visual fields were normal. Her serum PRL levels was high at 105.7 micrograms/l and increased to 138.4 micrograms/l at 60 minutes in a triple bolus test. GH values were normal and there was no evidence of overproduction of other pituitary hormones. CT scan showed an intrasellar mass with suprasellar extension. A tumor was selectively removed transsphenoidally. Morphologic examination revealed a clinically silent sparsely granulated growth hormone cell adenoma with lymphocytic infiltration of the adjacent pituitary tissue. Postoperatively her menstrual periods resumed and she conceived despite a slightly elevated PRL level. Three months after an uneventful pregnancy and full term delivery her PRL level was 69.9 micrograms/l and increased to 102.2 micrograms/l at 60 min. Basal GH and cortisol levels were normal. She remains well without replacement fourteen months after delivery. This case is of interest because it is the first reported simultaneous occurrence of a pituitary adenoma and lymphocytic hypophysitis and also because the hypophysitis preceded her first pregnancy.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = galactorrhea (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/11. Pituitary enlargement in post-surgical hypothyroidism misdiagnosed as thyrotroph neoplasia. Report of a case.Primary hypothyroidism may be associated with enlargement of the sella turcica, due to thyrotroph hyperplasia, in its turn due to the lack of feedback control by thyroid hormones. It may develop independently of the severity or of the duration of thyroid failure. A 42-year-old woman was referred to us. She presented us with a CT scan compatible with a pituitary microadenoma, in the left part of the sella. The patient showed obvious signs of myxedema, due to subtotal thyroidectomy which had been performed 14 months before, because of the presence of multinodular goiter. After operation, the patient has been discontinuously and inappropriately treated with desiccated thyroid. She complained of headache, nausea, galactorrhea without amenorrhea. serum T4 (0.8 micrograms/dl), serum T3 (47 ng/dl) and TSH (174.5 /- 60.1 mU/l: M /- SD of 4 assays) were compatible with primary hypothyroidism as confirmed by TSH hyper-response to i.v. TRH (200 micrograms) and i.v. domperidone (10 mg), and by the normal TSH decrease after orally administered 2.5 mg bromocriptine or 90 min continuously infused 800 micrograms GHIRH. Moreover, an abnormal GH response to TRH was observed, whereas basal and appropriately stimulated PRL levels were normal. serum alpha-subunit was marginally high (5.92 ng/ml), but alpha-subunit/TSH molar ratio fell within the normal range (0.1 molar ratio). Complete suppression of basal and TRH stimulated TSH values was achieved after a 14-day L-T3 (120 micrograms per day) and 4-month L-T4 (200 micrograms per day) administration. L-T4 treatment, first administered at suppressive doses (200 micrograms per day for 4 months) and subsequently at substitutive doses (150 micrograms per day for 2 months), induced complete remission of symptoms along with normalization of the CT scan picture.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = galactorrhea (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/11. Lymphocytic hypophysitis in a patient with amenorrhea and hyperprolactinemia. A case report.Lymphocytic hypophysitis is a rare condition reported to occur only in women. A patient with amenorrhea and hyperprolactinemia was thought to have a pituitary microadenoma but was subsequently found to have lymphocytic hypophysitis and pituitary-specific autoantibodies. Photomicrographs taken upon transsphenoidal surgical exploration revealed the lymphohistiocytic infiltrate of the pituitary. The pituitary reserve was tested. Autoimmune hypophysitis should be included in the differential diagnosis of amenorrhea and galactorrhea.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = galactorrhea (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/11. hyperprolactinemia as a cause of delayed puberty: successful treatment with bromocriptine.An 18-year-old male patient was referred because of galactorrhea and delayed puberty. There was no gynecomastia, but a white milky secretion could easily be expressed from each breast. The chest and skull x-rays were normal. The plasma prolactin was increased to 58 ng/ml and rose to 97 ng/ml after 200 microgram TRF iv. The patient was treated for one year with testosterone; his voice deepened, body hair developed, libido and sexual function became overt, and bone age advanced from 14 1/2 to 17 years, but the galactorrhea increased. After a satisfactory stage of pubertal development was reached, the testosterone was stopped. tthe galactorrhea then decreased to its pretreatment intensity; however, sexual potency diminished, sexual hair growth decreased, and the plasma prolactin levels rose to 246 ng/ml. After a 5-month interval without treatment, bromocriptine was given and brought about an impressive improvement. Virilization and general well being were superior to that during testosterone treatment, the galactorrhea vanished, plasma prolactin decreased, testosterone rose to normal values, and a normal semen analysis was recorded.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 4keywords = galactorrhea (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/11. galactorrhea associated with lymphocytic adenohypophysitis. Case report.A young woman, 14 months post partum, committed suicide when she noticed milk discharging from her nipples and thought she was pregnant. At autopsy the uterus was found to be non-gravid and the pituitary gland enlarged. Histological examination revealed lymphocytic adenohypophysitis, a rarely identified condition usually associated with hypopituitarism. Immunoperoxidase studies of the pituitary demonstrated prolactin cell hyperplasia. None of the other known causes of galactorrhea was present suggesting that this may be a new addition to the differential diagnosis of galactorrhea. To this date lymphocytic adenohypophysitis has been reported only in women, the majority within 14 months postpartum, and is usually identified only at autopsy.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = galactorrhea (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/11. Pseudotumoral lymphocytic hypophysitis successfully treated by corticosteroid alone: first case report.We report the first case of pseudotumoral lymphocytic hypophysitis successfully treated by corticosteroids without surgery. A 27-year-old woman had been monitored for chronic headache 13 months after giving birth, associated with amenorrhea and galactorrhea. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging revealed a markedly enlarged pituitary gland with a suprasellar extension; the only biochemical abnormality was a mild hyperprolactinemia. Because of a putative diagnosis of prolactinoma, bromocriptine was prescribed at a dose of 5 mg daily, soon followed by the transitory appearance of menstruation. Two years later, panhypopituitarism was present and was revealed by acute adrenal insufficiency. magnetic resonance imaging revealed that the pituitary mass was the same as previously described, but hormonal investigation showed evidence of complete hypopituitarism and no hyperprolactinemia. Nuclear antibodies were negative as well as other autoantibodies. Human leukocyte antigen serological Class II typing was DR3/DR4. Lymphocytic hypophysitis was then suspected; in the absence of visual complication and because this patient refused surgery, corticosteroids were attempted at a daily dose of 60 mg of prednisone for 3 months, progressively decreased for the next 6 months. Under this treatment, a gradual recovery of all pituitary hormones was observed and magnetic resonance imaging showed a reduction of two-thirds in pituitary mass. Five months after the end of corticoid treatment, our patient relapsed with panhypopituitarism and an increase of pituitary volume. She underwent steroid treatment, and a biopsy was performed and confirmed the diagnosis of autoimmune hypophysitis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = galactorrhea (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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