TY - JOUR
T1 - Gonadotropic pituitary carcinoma
T2 - HER-2/neu expression and gene amplification. Report of two cases
AU - Roncaroli, Federico
AU - Nosé, Vania
AU - Scheithauer, Bernd W.
AU - Kovacs, Kalman
AU - Horvath, Eva
AU - Young, William F.
AU - Lloyd, Ricardo V.
AU - Bishop, Mary C.
AU - Hsi, Bradley
AU - Fletcher, Jonathan A.
PY - 2003/8/1
Y1 - 2003/8/1
N2 - The authors report on two gonadotropic carcinomas of the adenohypophysis that occurred in a 55-year-old man (Case 1) and a 53-year-old woman (Case 2), with signs of mass effect and amenorrhea, respectively. Both lesions were macroadenomas. The tumor in Case 1 metastasized to dura mater, skull, nasal sinus, and larynx 2 years after patient presentation, whereas that in Case 2 spread to vertebral bodies and ribs after a 19-year latency. Histologically, the primary, recurrent, and metastatic lesions in Case 1 featured brisk mitotic activity and high MIB-1 levels as well as p53 labeling indices. Immunoreactivity for HER-2/neu was assessable only in rare neoplastic cells of the second recurrence and in 80% of cells of the dural metastasis. Low-level HER-2/neu gene amplification was evident in the recurrent tumors and metastasis. The sellar and metastatic tumors in Case 2 resembled benign gonadotropic adenoma with oncocytic change; p53 accumulation, HER-2/neu overexpression, and HER-2/neu gene amplification were not present. The results indicate that low-level amplification of the HER-2/neu gene might be associated with pituitary carcinomas in which more aggressive behavior is seen. Further studies are needed to determine whether HER-2/neu plays a role in the pathogenesis of pituitary carcinoma.
AB - The authors report on two gonadotropic carcinomas of the adenohypophysis that occurred in a 55-year-old man (Case 1) and a 53-year-old woman (Case 2), with signs of mass effect and amenorrhea, respectively. Both lesions were macroadenomas. The tumor in Case 1 metastasized to dura mater, skull, nasal sinus, and larynx 2 years after patient presentation, whereas that in Case 2 spread to vertebral bodies and ribs after a 19-year latency. Histologically, the primary, recurrent, and metastatic lesions in Case 1 featured brisk mitotic activity and high MIB-1 levels as well as p53 labeling indices. Immunoreactivity for HER-2/neu was assessable only in rare neoplastic cells of the second recurrence and in 80% of cells of the dural metastasis. Low-level HER-2/neu gene amplification was evident in the recurrent tumors and metastasis. The sellar and metastatic tumors in Case 2 resembled benign gonadotropic adenoma with oncocytic change; p53 accumulation, HER-2/neu overexpression, and HER-2/neu gene amplification were not present. The results indicate that low-level amplification of the HER-2/neu gene might be associated with pituitary carcinomas in which more aggressive behavior is seen. Further studies are needed to determine whether HER-2/neu plays a role in the pathogenesis of pituitary carcinoma.
KW - Chromogenic in situ hybridization
KW - Fluorescence in situ hybridization
KW - Gonadotropin
KW - HER-2/neu
KW - Pituitary carcinoma
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U2 - 10.3171/jns.2003.99.2.0402
DO - 10.3171/jns.2003.99.2.0402
M3 - Article
C2 - 12924717
AN - SCOPUS:0042345012
SN - 0022-3085
VL - 99
SP - 402
EP - 408
JO - Journal of neurosurgery
JF - Journal of neurosurgery
IS - 2
ER -