Clinical features of tumor metastasis to the pituitary

Abstract

The clinical features of 11 patients with metastases to the posterior pituitary are described. Carcinoma of the breast was the most common primary tumor. Diabetes insipidus was the presenting feature of pituitary involvement and occurred in 0.95% of the patients with breast cancer. Metastatic destruction of the posterior pituitary was the cause in 20% of the patients seen with diabetes insipidus since 1954. Anterior pituitary insufficiency was not seen. Metastasis to the posterior pituitary is more common than is generally thought and should be considered in all patients with cancer, and especially in those with breast cancer, who develop polyuria and polydypsia.

Pituitary Gland Metastasis of Breast Cancer: A Case Report

“…4 Breast and lung cancer are the most common primary neoplasm metastasizing to the pituitary in women and men respectively. [2][3][4] Breast cancer being the most common cancer metastasizing to the pituitary can be explained with the prolactin rich environment of the pituitary enhancing the proliferation of tumor cells of breast. [2][3][4][5] The most common symptom of pituitary metastasis seems to be diabetes insipidus.…”

“…[2][3][4] Breast cancer being the most common cancer metastasizing to the pituitary can be explained with the prolactin rich environment of the pituitary enhancing the proliferation of tumor cells of breast. [2][3][4][5] The most common symptom of pituitary metastasis seems to be diabetes insipidus. 1,[6][7][8][9][10] Visual impairment resulting from optic chiasm compression seems to be second most common presentation.…”

“…1 Breast and lung cancer are the most common primary neoplasms metastasizing to the hypophysis in women and men respectively. [2][3][4] Although breast cancer is the most common primary tumor, diagnosis of pituitary insufficiency and metastasis can be difficult in the follow up. Cancer patients may have signs and symptoms similar with pan-hypopituitarism and it can easily be attributed to the chemotherapy recieved or the primary disease especially in metastatic stage.…”

Hypopituitarism due to Pituitary Metastasis of Lung Cancer: Case of a 21-Year-Old Man.

“…Considering the MRI findings and endocrinologic findings, the most probable diagnosis for our case was lung cancer with metastasis to the hypophyseal region and direct invasion to the infundibulum, the bottom of the third ventricle and the surface of the sphenoid sinus. The fact that the posterior lobe of the pituitary is supplied with blood from the systemic circulation while the anterior lobe is supplied from the portal circulation accounts for the predilection of tumors for metastasis to the posterior pituitary glands (18). A large part of the anterior pituitary has to be destroyed before hypopituitarism manifests (3).…”

Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Mimicking Pituitary Adenoma-Case Report-

“…4,12,15) High frequencies of metastasis were found in histological specimens obtained at hypophysectomy in patients with advanced mammary carcinoma. 5,7,8,11) Therefore, most metastatic pituitary tumors seem to occur as part of widespread systemic metastasis. The most frequent primary site of the tumor in women is the mammary gland, followed by the lung, stomach, and uterus; the primary site in men is usually the lung followed by the prostate, urinary bladder, stomach, and pancreas.…”