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Archives of Pathology & Laboratory... Jul 2010The pituicytoma is a rare neoplasm whose histogenesis is debated partly because of the diversity of tissue types present in the sellar region. In this article we...
The pituicytoma is a rare neoplasm whose histogenesis is debated partly because of the diversity of tissue types present in the sellar region. In this article we illustrate the characteristic histologic, immunohistologic, and ultrastructural features of this unique neoplasm. Furthermore, we use array-based comparative genomic hybridization to demonstrate a unique pattern of genomic copy number aberrations in pituicytomas. Tumors were composed of bipolar, spindle cells that were immunopositive for S100, vimentin, and Bcl-2 and immunonegative for synaptophysin, chromogranin, and glial fibrillary acidic protein. Ultrastructural analysis was remarkable for absence of secretory granules. Array comparative genomic hybridization demonstrated genomic copy number imbalances, including losses on chromosome arms 1p, 14q, and 22q and gains on 5p. This pattern of genetic changes only partially overlaps with the genomic alterations reported in pituitary adenomas. In summary, our data suggest that pituicytomas are a unique subset of tumors of the sellar region.
Topics: Chromosome Mapping; Comparative Genomic Hybridization; Female; Gene Dosage; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Middle Aged; Pituitary Neoplasms; Rare Diseases; Secretory Vesicles
PubMed: 20586639
DOI: 10.5858/2009-0167-CR.1 -
The New England Journal of Medicine Dec 2008
Topics: Adult; Diseases in Twins; Humans; Hypogonadism; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Pituitary Neoplasms; Twins, Monozygotic
PubMed: 19109577
DOI: 10.1056/NEJMicm067848 -
Brain Pathology (Zurich, Switzerland) Apr 2008The case of a 61-year-old man presenting with dizziness, nausea, vomiting, reduced serum osmolality, and hyponatremia is reported. Endocrinologically, low levels for...
The case of a 61-year-old man presenting with dizziness, nausea, vomiting, reduced serum osmolality, and hyponatremia is reported. Endocrinologically, low levels for ADH, cortisol and testosterone as well as low-normal values for ACTH, LH and FSH were detected. Cranial computed tomography and MRI scans revealed an intra- and suprasellar tumor of adenoma-like appearance with elevation of the optic chiasm. No infiltration of the cavernous sinus was seen. After transsphenoidal resection of the tumor, no additional anterior lobe insufficiencies or diabetes insipidus occurred. Histological examination revealed a tumor consisting of spindle-shaped cells of uniformly high cellularity with no evidence of hypocellular areas. A cellular schwannoma was diagnosed. An intrasellar cellular schwannoma clinically and radiologically mimicking a non-secreting pituitary adenoma is uncommon. However, rare entities like schwannomas, melanocytomas or pituicytomas have to be considered in addition to the more common tumors like pituitary adenomas and meningiomas.
Topics: Humans; Hyponatremia; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Neurilemmoma; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 18363939
DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-3639.2008.00158.x -
Acta Neuropathologica Aug 2007The fourth edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of tumours of the central nervous system, published in 2007, lists several new entities,... (Review)
Review
The fourth edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of tumours of the central nervous system, published in 2007, lists several new entities, including angiocentric glioma, papillary glioneuronal tumour, rosette-forming glioneuronal tumour of the fourth ventricle, papillary tumour of the pineal region, pituicytoma and spindle cell oncocytoma of the adenohypophysis. Histological variants were added if there was evidence of a different age distribution, location, genetic profile or clinical behaviour; these included pilomyxoid astrocytoma, anaplastic medulloblastoma and medulloblastoma with extensive nodularity. The WHO grading scheme and the sections on genetic profiles were updated and the rhabdoid tumour predisposition syndrome was added to the list of familial tumour syndromes typically involving the nervous system. As in the previous, 2000 edition of the WHO 'Blue Book', the classification is accompanied by a concise commentary on clinico-pathological characteristics of each tumour type. The 2007 WHO classification is based on the consensus of an international Working Group of 25 pathologists and geneticists, as well as contributions from more than 70 international experts overall, and is presented as the standard for the definition of brain tumours to the clinical oncology and cancer research communities world-wide.
Topics: Central Nervous System Neoplasms; Humans; World Health Organization
PubMed: 17618441
DOI: 10.1007/s00401-007-0243-4 -
Brain Pathology (Zurich, Switzerland) Jul 2007The 4(th) edition of the WHO Classification of Tumours of the Nervous System (WHO 2007) introduces changes that reflect both the recognition of new brain tumour types...
The 4(th) edition of the WHO Classification of Tumours of the Nervous System (WHO 2007) introduces changes that reflect both the recognition of new brain tumour types and a better understanding of neoplastic behavior. Three new tumours, angiocentric glioma (AG), pilomyxoid astrocytoma (PMA), and pituicytoma are added to the section on gliomas. AG is a slowly growing cerebral tumour that typically presents with seizures in children and young adults. It is characterized by monomorphous, bipolar tumour cells with a striking perivascular growth pattern. Although the 'cell of origin' of AG is not clear, ultrastructural evidence points to an ependymal derivation. Typically, AG can be cured by total resection, and is designated WHO grade I. PMA is a solid, circumscribed tumour occurring mainly in the hypothalamic region of young children. It is composed of a monomorphous population of bipolar tumour cells within a rich myxoid background, with a conspicuous anglocentric arrangement. While PMA is considered a more aggressive variant of pilocytic astrocytoma, this relationship awaits further clarification. The PMA has been designated WHO grade II. The pituicytoma, involves the posterior pituitary and/or its stalk and affects adults. It is solid in architecture, composed of spindle cells and presumably derived from pituicytes. Pituicytomas are indolent tumours, and are designated WHO grade I.
Topics: Astrocytoma; Central Nervous System Neoplasms; Glioma; Humans; Neuroglia; Pituitary Gland; Pituitary Neoplasms; World Health Organization
PubMed: 17598825
DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-3639.2007.00082.x -
AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology Sep 2006We report a case of pituicytoma, a rare primary tumor of the neurohypophysis. A 64-year-old man presented with progressive visual complaints, bitemporal hemianopsia, and...
We report a case of pituicytoma, a rare primary tumor of the neurohypophysis. A 64-year-old man presented with progressive visual complaints, bitemporal hemianopsia, and headache. Imaging studies revealed distinctive features of a mass lesion that thickened the pituitary stalk with a bilobed protrusion extending into the hypothalamus. Angiography demonstrated tumor vascular supply from the superior hypophyseal arteries representing the diencephalic branches of the internal carotid arteries. We discuss the imaging and pathology of this unusual tumor.
Topics: Astrocytoma; Carotid Artery, Internal; Cerebral Angiography; Diagnosis, Differential; Diplopia; Headache; Hemianopsia; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Microsurgery; Middle Aged; Pituitary Gland; Pituitary Neoplasms
PubMed: 16971602
DOI: No ID Found -
Neurologia Medico-chirurgica Mar 2006Pituicytoma is a rare tumor in the sellar or suprasellar region with distinct histological characteristics of glial neoplasm. A 42-year-old woman presented with a...
Pituicytoma is a rare tumor in the sellar or suprasellar region with distinct histological characteristics of glial neoplasm. A 42-year-old woman presented with a history of amenorrhea and vertigo, and a 62-year-old woman presented with mild headache. Both patients had mild hyperprolactinemia and one had mild anterior pituitary dysfunction. They underwent transcranial partial resection of a suprasellar tumor. The tumors were characterized by storiform pattern of elongated cells immunoreactive for S-100 protein and glial fibrillary acidic protein. Ultrastructural study showed abundant cytoplasmic intermediate filaments and tumor/blood vessel basal lamina, but no desmosomes between tumor cells. The residual tumors showed no changes in size without adjuvant therapy at 56 and 18 months after surgery. Pituicytoma is a glial neoplasm of adults with low proliferative activity. Patients often present with visual symptoms or anterior pituitary dysfunction. Symptoms and signs of neurohypophysis are rare. Neuroimaging reveals an intra- or suprasellar mass with non-specific features. The prognosis and role of adjuvant therapy remain unclear for this discrete noninfiltrative glioma.
Topics: Adult; Female; Glioma; Humans; Middle Aged; Pituitary Neoplasms
PubMed: 16565586
DOI: 10.2176/nmc.46.152 -
AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology Aug 2005Astrocytoma, or pituicytoma, of the posterior pituitary is a relatively rare entity consisting of poorly characterized glial tumor cells. We report two cases of... (Review)
Review
Astrocytoma, or pituicytoma, of the posterior pituitary is a relatively rare entity consisting of poorly characterized glial tumor cells. We report two cases of posterior pituitary astrocytomas in middle-aged women presenting as focal lesions of the neurohypophysis. A review of the literature reveals only a few reports of this tumor, and there has been scanty discussion of the imaging findings of posterior pituitary astrocytomas compared with lesions of the anterior pituitary gland. This report reviews the clinical characteristics and imaging findings and discusses the differential diagnosis of these two cases.
Topics: Adult; Astrocytoma; Female; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Middle Aged; Pituitary Gland, Posterior; Pituitary Neoplasms
PubMed: 16091544
DOI: No ID Found -
Archives of Pathology & Laboratory... Apr 2001Considered a neoplasm of pituicytes, pituicytoma is a rare and distinct type of glioma that arises in the suprasellar space and within the sella turcica. Only 12... (Review)
Review
Considered a neoplasm of pituicytes, pituicytoma is a rare and distinct type of glioma that arises in the suprasellar space and within the sella turcica. Only 12 previously reported cases of pituicytoma are documented in the literature. We report an intrasellar pituicytoma in a 66-year-old man presenting with symptoms and radiologic appearance indistinguishable from a nonfunctional pituitary adenoma. The patient also had a medical history significant for parathyroid adenomas and follicular carcinoma of the thyroid. The intrasellar tumor had morphologic features of a pituicytoma, with interlacing fascicles and a storiform pattern much like a benign fibrous histiocytoma. Immunoreactivity for S100 was strong, but the tumor lacked intercellular collagen type IV. The differential diagnosis of a low-grade spindle cell lesion of the sellar space is discussed, and the literature is reviewed. A summary of the clinical and pathologic features of this case, as well as the 12 previously reported cases, is presented.
Topics: Adenoma; Aged; Astrocytoma; Diagnosis, Differential; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia; Pituitary Gland, Posterior; Pituitary Neoplasms; S100 Proteins; Sella Turcica
PubMed: 11260629
DOI: 10.5858/2001-125-0527-IPIAPW