A 29-year old giantess with growth hormone excess and hyperprolactinemia underwent transsphenoidal surgery to remove her pituitary tumor. Electron microscopy revealed a mammosomatotroph adenoma composed of one cell type. Immunoelectron microscopy, using the immunogold technique, demonstrated predominantly growth hormone or prolactin or a varying mixture of both growth hormone and prolactin in the adenoma cells. The presence of growth hormone and prolactin was found not only in the cytoplasm of the same adenoma cells but also in the same secretory granules. In the nontumorous adenohypophysis, somatotrophs and lactotrophs showed ultrastructural signs of hyperactivity. This finding is in contrast with the presence of suppressed somatotrophs and lactotrophs seen in nontumorous portions of adult pituitaries harboring growth hormone or prolactin-secreting adenomas. Our morphological study reinforces the view that growth hormone-producing pituitary tumors, originating in childhood, are different from those of the adult gland.

SYNOPSISWe report the eleventh documented case of the concurrence of anorexia nervosa and ‘Turner syndrome’. Although some authors have suggested that the 2 syndromes occur together more often than by chance, and 5% of anorexia nervosa patients karyotyped to date have ‘Turner syndrome’, recent evidence in fact suggests that the 2 conditions do not occur together more often than one would expect by chance.

No abstract

No abstract