TY - JOUR
T1 - Clinically silent corticotroph tumors of the pituitary gland
AU - Scheithauer, Bernd W.
AU - Jaap, Alan J.
AU - Horvath, Eva
AU - Kovacs, Kalman
AU - Lloyd, Ricardo V.
AU - Meyer, Fredric B.
AU - Laws, Edward R.
AU - Young, William F.
PY - 2000
Y1 - 2000
N2 - OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical presentation, imaging characteristics, microscopic and ultrastructural characteristics, and treatment outcomes of patients with clinically silent pituitary corticotroph adenomas. METHODS: All silent corticotroph adenomas diagnosed at the Mayo Clinic during the years 1975 through 1997 were selected from the files of the Mayo Tissue Registry. RESULTS: We studied 23 cases, occurring in 16 male and 7 female patients (age range, 11-79 yr; mean age, 48 yr), who presented with headaches (50%), visual field defects (61%), extraocular muscle paresis (13%), hypopituitarism (26%), and galactorrhea/amenorrhea (43%/29% of the female patients). No patients exhibited clinical hypercortisolism. All tumors were macroadenomas (2.4 ± 0.8 cm; range, 1.5-4.0 cm) and exhibited suprasellar extension in 87% of the cases and hemorrhage, necrosis, and/or cystic changes in 61%. All tumors stained were variably periodic acid-Schiff-, adrenocorticotropic hormone-, and β-endorphin-positive, particularly Subtype I lesions. Ultrastructural classification was performed in 19 cases. In a comparison of Subtype I and II tumors, differences were observed with respect to sex (male/female, 1.4:1 versus 6:1), preoperative hyperprolactinemia (5 of 16 versus 0 of 6 cases), preoperative hypopituitarism (9 of 16 versus 5 of 7 cases), radiographic or gross invasion (7 of 16 versus 5 of 7 cases), and partial or total postoperative pituitary failure (6 of 16 versus 6 of 6 cases). The overall median postoperative follow-up period was 4.9 years (range, 0.3-16.6 yr); 54% of the patients had persistent or recurrent tumors. CONCLUSION: Clinically silent corticotroph adenomas behave in an aggressive manner and are characterized by the following: lack of clinical signs or symptoms of Cushing's syndrome and normal cortisol levels; no or only minor elevations of serum adrenocorticotropic hormone levels; macroadenomas with hemorrhagic infarction; and presentation dominated by mass effect symptoms. The high persistence/recurrence rate underscores the need for long-term follow-up.
AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical presentation, imaging characteristics, microscopic and ultrastructural characteristics, and treatment outcomes of patients with clinically silent pituitary corticotroph adenomas. METHODS: All silent corticotroph adenomas diagnosed at the Mayo Clinic during the years 1975 through 1997 were selected from the files of the Mayo Tissue Registry. RESULTS: We studied 23 cases, occurring in 16 male and 7 female patients (age range, 11-79 yr; mean age, 48 yr), who presented with headaches (50%), visual field defects (61%), extraocular muscle paresis (13%), hypopituitarism (26%), and galactorrhea/amenorrhea (43%/29% of the female patients). No patients exhibited clinical hypercortisolism. All tumors were macroadenomas (2.4 ± 0.8 cm; range, 1.5-4.0 cm) and exhibited suprasellar extension in 87% of the cases and hemorrhage, necrosis, and/or cystic changes in 61%. All tumors stained were variably periodic acid-Schiff-, adrenocorticotropic hormone-, and β-endorphin-positive, particularly Subtype I lesions. Ultrastructural classification was performed in 19 cases. In a comparison of Subtype I and II tumors, differences were observed with respect to sex (male/female, 1.4:1 versus 6:1), preoperative hyperprolactinemia (5 of 16 versus 0 of 6 cases), preoperative hypopituitarism (9 of 16 versus 5 of 7 cases), radiographic or gross invasion (7 of 16 versus 5 of 7 cases), and partial or total postoperative pituitary failure (6 of 16 versus 6 of 6 cases). The overall median postoperative follow-up period was 4.9 years (range, 0.3-16.6 yr); 54% of the patients had persistent or recurrent tumors. CONCLUSION: Clinically silent corticotroph adenomas behave in an aggressive manner and are characterized by the following: lack of clinical signs or symptoms of Cushing's syndrome and normal cortisol levels; no or only minor elevations of serum adrenocorticotropic hormone levels; macroadenomas with hemorrhagic infarction; and presentation dominated by mass effect symptoms. The high persistence/recurrence rate underscores the need for long-term follow-up.
KW - Corticotroph cells
KW - Cushing's disease
KW - Immunohistochemistry
KW - Nonfunctioning
KW - Pituitary adenoma
KW - Ultrastructure
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U2 - 10.1227/00006123-200009000-00039
DO - 10.1227/00006123-200009000-00039
M3 - Article
C2 - 10981760
AN - SCOPUS:0034525817
SN - 0148-396X
VL - 47
SP - 723
EP - 730
JO - Neurosurgery
JF - Neurosurgery
IS - 3
ER -