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Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 1988; 92(4): 69-76
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1210783
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© J. A. Barth Verlag in Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Metastatic Carcinoma to Pituitary Adenomas: A Report of Two Cases

J. A. Ramsay, K. Kovacs, B. W. Scheithauer, C. Ezrin, M. H. Weiss
  • Department of Pathology, St. Michael's Hospital, (Head: Dr. D. Murray) University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Department of Surgical Pathology, (Head: Dr. L. E. Wold) Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota, U.S.A., Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, (Head: Dr. S. Melmed) Cedars Sinai Medical Center-UCLA, School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. and Department of Neurosurgery, (Head: Dr. M. H. Weiss) University of Southern California, School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
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Publication History

1987

Publication Date:
16 July 2009 (online)

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Summary

Two cases of carcinoma metastatic to pituitary adenomas are reported. One patient had a prostatic adenocarcinoma, giving rise to metastases in an adenoma found incidentally at autopsy; clinically and immunohistochemically, the adenoma showed lack of endocrine activity. The second patient had symptoms of cortisol excess. A corticotroph adenoma associated with a malignant neoplasm was diagnosed ante mortem; at autopsy a pancreatic endocrine neoplasm was found. Immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy were important in elucidating the primary tumor.

The formation of extraportal vascular channels and altered blood flow may have importance in the pathogenesis of cancer metastases to pituitary adenomas.

Key words

Electron microscopy - Immunohistochemistry - Metastatic carcinoma - Pituitary adenoma