Pituitary image: pituicytoma

Abstract

Pituicytomas are often difficult to distinguish from other hypothalamic or pituitary lesions. However, their identification would be preferable in a pre-operative setting in order to optimize the work-up and to initiate a proactive management of the expected complications.

Pituicytoma Coexisting With Corticotroph Hyperplasia

“…9 Heterogeneous enhancement, calcification, and cystic changes were rarely seen. 17 In our case, the lesion presented with equal T1 and T2 signals, which accords with previous reports.…”

“…In fact, most reported pituicytomas were misdiagnosed before surgery. 17 Sometimes, they can exhibit sellar enlargement and bony remodeling. Most reported MRI findings describe a solid, homogenous mass, iso-intense on T1-weighted images and hyperintense on T2-weighted images, with homogenous contrast enhancement, closely mimicking pituitary adenoma or meningioma.…”

Pituicytoma—An outlook on possible targeted therapies

“…Aside from ultrastructural features, we could confirm the regular presence of S100 except for a single case that did not stain accordingly and were able to observe the reported positivity of TTF1 and vimentin in all of our samples. GFAP expression was variable and only present in 33% of our cases and synaptophysin only stained positive in one sample also confirming previous investigations …”

“…Typically, the tumors presented spindle cell architecture with a storiform or interlacing pattern and only few mitoses. The Ki67 labeling index showed a stronger variation (1%‐10%) compared to the literature where it has been reported at 1%‐6%, especially in our cases of recurring pituicytoma the Ki67 labeling index appeared to be increased. In the case of recurrent pituicytoma with present first and second histology, we could observe an increase of the Ki67 from <1%‐4.4% potentially explaining the sudden clinically apparent tumor growth.…”

Synchronous pituitary adenoma and pituicytoma

“…Clinically, pituicytomas mimic nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenomas with visual field defects, hypopituitarism and headaches, although occasionally such tumors are discovered incidentally at autopsy (3). Obesity has been described in a small series of patients (4). Spontaneous suprasellar hemorrhage due to a pituicytoma has been the subject of a single case report (5).…”