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Journal of Medical Case Reports Sep 2012Pituicytoma is a rare neoplasm of the neurohypophysis. To the best of our knowledge there have been no reports of pituicytoma in which long-term magnetic resonance...
INTRODUCTION
Pituicytoma is a rare neoplasm of the neurohypophysis. To the best of our knowledge there have been no reports of pituicytoma in which long-term magnetic resonance imaging observation was performed. We calculated the doubling time of the tumor volume and described the growth pattern of a pituicytoma.
CASE PRESENTATION
A 52-year-old Japanese man with a history of decreased libido was found to have a sellar and suprasellar mass. He underwent transsphenoidal surgery, but only a small specimen was obtained because of intraoperative bleeding. The tentative histological diagnosis was schwannoma. He noticed bitemporal hemianopsia 7 years later. A follow-up magnetic resonance imaging disclosed a tumor volume doubling time of 3830 days. Transcranial gross-total tumor resection was performed. The lesion consisted of elongated and plump tumor cells that were arranged in a fascicular or storiform pattern and were positive for S-100 protein and focally positive for glial fibrillary acidic protein. The final histological diagnosis was pituicytoma.
CONCLUSION
Pituicytoma is a slow-growing tumor, but the growth rate may change during follow-up.
PubMed: 22989192
DOI: 10.1186/1752-1947-6-306 -
Case Reports in Ophthalmology May 2012Pituicytomas are rare neoplasms of the sellar region. We report a case of vision loss and a junctional scotoma in a 43-year-old woman caused by compression of the optic...
Pituicytomas are rare neoplasms of the sellar region. We report a case of vision loss and a junctional scotoma in a 43-year-old woman caused by compression of the optic chiasm by a pituitary tumor. The morphological and immunohistochemical characteristics of the tumor were consistent with the diagnosis of pituicytoma. The tumor was debulked surgically, and the patient's vision improved.
PubMed: 22740829
DOI: 10.1159/000339242 -
World Neurosurgery Jul 2012Pituicytomas are rare tumors of the sellar region that are derived from specialized glial cells called pituicytes. They characteristically exhibit spindle-cell features... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Pituicytomas are rare tumors of the sellar region that are derived from specialized glial cells called pituicytes. They characteristically exhibit spindle-cell features and fascicular or storiform patterns of growth. No other histological variants of this tumor have been described.
CASE DESCRIPTION
Here we report a diagnostically challenging case of pituicytoma in a 42-year-old man with a sellar mass arising from the pituitary stalk. On histological examination, the tumor displayed an epithelioid histoarchitecture with no characteristic spindle-cell or fascicular growth features. Strong immunopositivity for the pituicyte marker thyroid transcription factor-1 within tumor cells proved essential for diagnosing this unusual pituicytoma variant.
CONCLUSION
Pituicytomas may display epithelioid rather than fascicular or storiform histoarchitecture. Epithelioid pituicytoma variants may be diagnosed in cases such as ours in which both the clinical findings and immunohistochemical analysis suggest a tumor derived from pituicytes.
Topics: Adult; Biomarkers, Tumor; Craniotomy; Diagnosis, Differential; Epithelioid Cells; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Pituitary Gland; Pituitary Neoplasms
PubMed: 22120271
DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2011.09.011 -
AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology Dec 2011Pituicytoma, SCO, and GCT are poorly understood entities with confusing nomenclature and undetermined imaging characteristics. Our purpose was to confirm published cases... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Pituicytoma, SCO, and GCT are poorly understood entities with confusing nomenclature and undetermined imaging characteristics. Our purpose was to confirm published cases of pituicytoma, SCO, and GCT with the newest 2007 World Health Organization criteria and elucidate imaging findings that distinguish these tumors from common entities such as pituitary adenoma.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A literature search identified 145 published cases (81 GCTs, 48 pituicytomas, and 16 SCOs). Case diagnoses were blindly reviewed by a neuropathologist according to the latest WHO criteria, resulting in 112 pathologically documented cases (64 GCTs, 35 pituicytomas, and 13 SCOs). Imaging illustrations from proved cases were reviewed to determine location, configuration, attenuation and signal intensity, and enhancement characteristics.
RESULTS
Only pituicytomas presented as purely intrasellar lesions (7/33). Most GCTs were purely suprasellar (28/45). All SCOs were both intra- and suprasellar (13/13). Twenty-five percent of pituicytomas (6/22) and GCTs (7/30) appeared separate from the pituitary gland. All SCOs were infiltrating. Seventy-nine percent of entities appeared isointense to brain on T1-weighted image (34/43). Seventy-four percent of pituicytomas enhanced homogeneously (14/19). Twelve of 23 GCTs and 5/7 SCOs enhanced heterogeneously. Most GCTs were hyperattenuated to brain on CT (18/20). Eleven of 13 cases enhanced homogeneously. Visual disturbances were common symptoms for all entities (67/112). Diabetes insipidus was rare (4/112).
CONCLUSIONS
Pituicytoma may be considered for purely intrasellar masses that are clearly separate from the pituitary gland. GCT should receive consideration for purely suprasellar lesions that are hyperattenuated to brain on CT. SCO should be considered for infiltrating pituitary masses with a mixed intra- and suprasellar location. A history of diabetes insipidus helps to exclude these tumors.
Topics: Astrocytoma; Female; Granular Cell Tumor; Humans; Internationality; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Pituitary Neoplasms; Prevalence; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors
PubMed: 21960498
DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.A2717 -
Surgical Neurology International 2011Spindle cell oncocytoma (SCO) and pituicytoma are rare nonfunctioning tumors of the pituitary. Both tumors are low grade and macroscopically indistinguishable from a...
BACKGROUND
Spindle cell oncocytoma (SCO) and pituicytoma are rare nonfunctioning tumors of the pituitary. Both tumors are low grade and macroscopically indistinguishable from a nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma.We report one case of SCO and one case of pituicytoma and review the previous literature.
CASE DESCRIPTION
One patient was a 39-year-old man who presented with progressive headache, visual blurring, and polyuria of 3-year duration. He underwent partial resection (30% of the tumor) and postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy. Histopathology revealed SCO. However, after 9 months, the residual tumor grew and partial resection (70% of the tumor) was performed again. Four months after the second surgery, the tumor recurred again and he underwent transsphenoidal resection of the tumor with stable residual tumor to date. The other patient was a 59-year-old man who presented with a 3-month history of visual decline, fatigue, difficulty in writing, and polyuria. He underwent transsphenoidal resection (total) of the tumor. Histopathology revealed pituicytoma. He has been stable without evidence of recurrence for 1 year and 4 months.
CONCLUSION
To date, there are 15 reported cases of SCO and 45 reported cases of pituicytoma including our cases. An incomplete resection of the tumor was a significant risk factor for recurrence in both SCO and pituicytoma (P = 0.0014 and P = 0.019, respectively). These tumors have a tendency to be hypervascular, which may hamper total resection. Epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) and mitochondria positivity is characteristic to SCO and they are considered to be important immunomarkers to distinguish these tumors.
PubMed: 21886889
DOI: 10.4103/2152-7806.83932 -
The British Journal of Radiology Mar 2011Pituicytoma is a rare primary tumour of the neurohypophysis or infundibulum, which masquerades as a pituitary adenoma. We present a pituicytoma case in a 45-year-old... (Review)
Review
Pituicytoma is a rare primary tumour of the neurohypophysis or infundibulum, which masquerades as a pituitary adenoma. We present a pituicytoma case in a 45-year-old female presenting as a focal lesion of the neurohypophysis. This case report reviews the clinical, neuroimaging and histopathological features of this rare tumour in order to understand it better.
Topics: Astrocytoma; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Hemianopsia; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Middle Aged; Pituitary Gland, Posterior; Pituitary Neoplasms; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 21325358
DOI: 10.1259/bjr/16529716 -
Journal of Medical Case Reports Feb 2011Spindle cell oncocytoma of the adenohypophysis is a rare tumour recently reported by Roncaroli et al. in 2002. This tumour is considered a grade I tumour by the World...
INTRODUCTION
Spindle cell oncocytoma of the adenohypophysis is a rare tumour recently reported by Roncaroli et al. in 2002. This tumour is considered a grade I tumour by the World Health Organization.
CASE PRESENTATION
We describe what is, to the best of our knowledge, the 14th case of its kind in the literature. A 45-year-old African woman presented clinical and radiological findings related to a nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma. The diagnosis was made on the basis of histological and immunohistochemical findings.
CONCLUSION
The purpose of this work is to report a rare pituitary tumour and to describe its histological and immunohistochemical features, which were characterized by the expression of thyroid transcription factor 1 antigen by tumour cells. This fact could support the theory of a possible common origin of these tumours in pituicytomas. In fact, thyroid transcription factor 1 is considered to be a specific marker of pituicytes.
PubMed: 21320334
DOI: 10.1186/1752-1947-5-64 -
Surgical Neurology International Dec 2010Pituicytomas originate from pituicytes, modified glial cells derived from ependymal lineage that are found in the stalk and posterior lobe of pituitary gland. The...
BACKGROUND
Pituicytomas originate from pituicytes, modified glial cells derived from ependymal lineage that are found in the stalk and posterior lobe of pituitary gland. The clinical presentation is similar to other pituitary tumors and imaging exams may suggest pituitary adenoma. The diagnostic is based on histopathological analysis. Surgical treatment can be performed by transsphenoidal approach with good results. The prognostic is good after total tumor resection.
CASE DESCRIPTION
We describe here the case of a 17-year-old patient with a history of persistent headache and visual disturbances. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated an enhancing solid sellar mass suggestive of pituitary adenoma. The intrasellar mass was resected through a transsphenoidal approach and the diagnosis of pituicytoma was made after histopathological analysis.
CONCLUSION
Pituicytomas are rare tumors of the neurohypophysis derived from pituicytes. Their clinical presentation resembles that of non-functional pituitary adenomas, but these two types of tumors are histologically well distinct.
PubMed: 21206895
DOI: 10.4103/2152-7806.73802 -
Oncology Letters Jan 2011This report describes two cases of pituicytoma. The two patients were female and presented with visual complaints, diabetes insipidus, headaches and menstrual disorders....
This report describes two cases of pituicytoma. The two patients were female and presented with visual complaints, diabetes insipidus, headaches and menstrual disorders. The imaging characteristic was an intrasellar or suprasellar mass, and one mass originated in the pituitary stalk. The mass showed homogeneous enhancement with contrast administration. A hematoxylin and eosin stain showed a compact structure consisting of elongated, bipolar spindle cells arranged in interlacing fascicles or assuming a storiform pattern. Immunohistochemically, the tumor showed diffuse strong expression of S-100 protein, vimentin and epithelial membrane antigen, and glial fibrillary acidic protein was focally positive. The pituicytoma may have originated in the pituitary stalk and presented with diabetes insipidus, and the differential diagnosis should be compared with the pituitary stalk mass. Bleeding during resection was moderate, and surgery was regarded as the first choice of treatment for pituicytomas.
PubMed: 22870125
DOI: 10.3892/ol.2010.209 -
Neurology India 2010
Review
Topics: Adult; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; Glioma; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Pituitary Neoplasms; S100 Proteins; Visual Fields
PubMed: 21045523
DOI: 10.4103/0028-3886.72187