Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Adenohypophyseal hyperfunction syndromes and posterior pituitary tumors: prevalence, clinical characteristics, and pathophysiological mechanisms

  • Review
  • Published:
Endocrine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Posterior pituitary tumors are rare nonneuroendocrine neoplasms originating in the neurohypophysis that lack hormonal secretory capacity. Surprisingly, these tumors are relatively frequently associated with adenohypophyseal syndromes of hormonal hypersecretion such as Cushing’s disease and acromegaly. Fifteen cases of posterior pituitary tumor associated with hypercortisolism have been reported to date, 13 of them were pituicytomas (Pi) and 2 were granular cell tumors (GCT). Six patients with posterior pituitary tumor associated with acromegaly have been reported (4 Pi and 2 GCT). The main forms of clinical presentation and the possible pathophysiological mechanisms of this association are reviewed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. F. Guerrero-Perez, A.P. Marengo, N. Vidal, P. Iglesias, C. Villabona, Primary tumors of the posterior pituitary: a systematic review. Rev. Endocr. Metab. Disord. 20, 219–238 (2019)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. F.J. Salge-Arrieta, R. Carrasco-Moro, V. Rodriguez-Berrocal, H. Pian, J.S. Martinez-San Millan, P. Iglesias, L. Ley-Urzaiz, Clinical features, diagnosis and therapy of pituicytoma: an update. J. Endocrinol. Investig. 42, 371–384 (2019)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. O. Mete, M.B.S. Lopes, F. Roncaroli, T. Tihan, S. Yamada, in Tumors of the posterior pituitary, ed. by R.V. Lloyd, R.Y. Osamura, G. Klöppel, J. Rosai. WHO Classification of Tumours of Endocrine Organs. International Agency for Reseach on Cancer, Lyon (France), pp. 52–54 (2017)

  4. E.B. Lee, T. Tihan, B.W. Scheithauer, P.J. Zhang, N.K. Gonatas, Thyroid transcription factor 1 expression in sellar tumors: a histogenetic marker? J. Neuropathol. Exp. Neurol. 68, 482–488 (2009)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. F. Guerrero-Perez, N. Vidal, A.P. Marengo, C.D. Pozo, C. Blanco, D. Rivero-Celada, J.J. Diez, P. Iglesias, A. Pico, C. Villabona, Posterior pituitary tumours: the spectrum of a unique entity. A clinical and histological study of a large case series. Endocrine 63, 36–43 (2019)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. K. Schmalisch, J. Schittenhelm, F.H. Ebner, F. Beuschlein, J. Honegger, R. Beschorner, Pituicytoma in a patient with Cushing’s disease: case report and review of the literature. Pituitary 15(Suppl 1), S10–S16 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. S. Chakraborti, A. Mahadevan, A. Govindan, K. Sridhar, N.V. Mohan, I.R. Satish, S. Rudrappa, S. Mangshetty, S.K. Shankar, Pituicytoma: report of three cases with review of literature. Pathol. Res. Pract. 209, 52–58 (2013)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. P. Cambiaso, D. Amodio, E. Procaccini, D. Longo, S. Galassi, F.D. Camassei, M. Cappa, Pituicytoma and Cushing’s disease in a 7-year-old girl: a mere coincidence? Pediatrics 136, e1632–e1636 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. X. Guo, H. Fu, X. Kong, L. Gao, W. Wang, W. Ma, Y. Yao, R. Wang, B. Xing, Pituicytoma coexisting with corticotroph hyperplasia: literature review with one case report. Medicine 95, e3062 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. V. Barresi, S. Lionti, E. Messina, F. Esposito, F.F. Angileri, S. Cannavo, A 53-year-old woman with Cushing’s disease and a pituitary tumor. Neuropathology 37, 86–90 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. T.W. Chang, C.Y. Lee, S.M. Jung, H.Y. Lai, C.T. Chen, M.C. Yeap, C.C. Chuang, P.W. Hsu, C.N. Chang, P.H. Tu, S.T. Lee, Correlations between clinical hormone change and pathological features of pituicytoma. Br. J. Neurosurg. 32, 501–508 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Z. Feng, Z. Mao, Z. Wang, B. Liao, Y. Zhu, H. Wang, Non-adenomatous pituitary tumours mimicking functioning pituitary adenomas. Br. J. Neurosurg. 1–5 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1080/02688697.2018.1464121

  13. E. Lefevre, S. Bouazza, F. Bielle, A.L. Boch, Management of pituicytomas: a multicenter series of eight cases. Pituitary 21, 507–514 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Y. Zhang, Y. Teng, H. Zhu, L. Lu, K. Deng, H. Pan, Y. Yao, Granular cell tumor of the neurohypophysis: 3 cases and a systematic literature review of 98 cases. World Neurosurg. 118, e621–e630 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. E. Gezer, A. Selek, B. Cetinarslan, Z. Canturk, I. Tarkun, S. Ceylan, The coexistence of infundibular pituicytoma and Cushing’s disease due to pituitary adenoma: a case report. Endocr. Regul. 53, 263–267 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. X. Li, Y. Liu, Y. Miao, J. Wang, L. Wang, E.H. Wang, A rare case of pituicytoma presenting with severe Cushing disease: a case report and review of literature. Medicine 98, e17772 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. F. Marco Del Pont, J.F. Villalonga, T. Ries-Centeno, N. Arakaki, D. Katz, A. Cervio, Pituicytoma associated with acromegaly and cushing disease. World Neurosurg. 136, 78–82 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. M. Losa, W. Saeger, P. Mortini, C. Pandolfi, M.R. Terreni, G. Taccagni, M. Giovanelli, Acromegaly associated with a granular cell tumor of the neurohypophysis: a clinical and histological study. Case report. J. Neurosurg. 93, 121–126 (2000)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. M.S. Broder, M.P. Neary, E. Chang, D. Cherepanov, W.H. Ludlam, Incidence of Cushing’s syndrome and Cushing’s disease in commercially-insured patients <65 years old in the United States. Pituitary 18, 283–289 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. S. Melmed, Pituitary-tumor endocrinopathies. N. Engl. J. Med. 382, 937–950 (2020)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. G.D. Hammer, J.B. Tyrrell, K.R. Lamborn, C.B. Applebury, E.T. Hannegan, S. Bell, R. Rahl, A. Lu, C.B. Wilson, Transsphenoidal microsurgery for Cushing’s disease: initial outcome and long-term results. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 89, 6348–6357 (2004)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. A. Lavrentaki, A. Paluzzi, J.A. Wass, N. Karavitaki, Epidemiology of acromegaly: review of population studies. Pituitary 20, 4–9 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. R. Inoue, M. Aoki, Y. Matsumoto, S. Haraoka, K. Kazekawa, K. Nabeshima, Prolactin-producing pituitary adenoma with atypical spindle cell morphology: a case report. World J. Surg. Oncol. 13, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12957-015-0655-x (2015)

  24. G. Cenacchi, P. Giovenali, C. Castrioto, F. Giangaspero, Pituicytoma: ultrastructural evidence of a possible origin from folliculo-stellate cells of the adenohypophysis. Ultrastruct. Pathol. 25, 309–312 (2001)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Y. Nakasu, S. Nakasu, A. Saito, S. Horiguchi, T. Kameya, Pituicytoma. Two case reports. Neurol. Med. Chir. 46, 152–156 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. G.I. Hatton, Pituicytes, glia and control of terminal secretion. J. Exp. Biol. 139, 67–79 (1988)

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. A.J. Ulm, A.T. Yachnis, D.J. Brat, A.L. Rhoton Jr, Pituicytoma: report of two cases and clues regarding histogenesis. Neurosurgery 54, 753–757 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. M.C. Neidert, H. Leske, J.K. Burkhardt, S.S. Kollias, D. Capper, D. Schrimpf, L. Regli, E.J. Rushing, Synchronous pituitary adenoma and pituicytoma. Hum. Pathol. 47, 138–143 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. G. Singh, S. Agarwal, M.C. Sharma, V. Suri, C. Sarkar, A. Garg, S.S. Kale, Spindle cell oncocytoma of the adenohypophysis: report of a rare case and review of literature. Clin. Neurol. Neurosurg. 114, 267–271 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. T. Yoshimoto, J. Takahashi-Fujigasaki, N. Inoshita, N. Fukuhara, H. Nishioka, S. Yamada, TTF-1-positive oncocytic sellar tumor with follicle formation/ependymal differentiation: non-adenomatous tumor capable of two different interpretations as a pituicytoma or a spindle cell oncocytoma. Brain Tumor Pathol. 32, 221–227 (2015)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. M.F. Azevedo, P. Xekouki, M.F. Keil, E. Lange, N. Patronas, C.A. Stratakis, An unusual presentation of pediatric Cushing disease: recurrent corticotropinoma of the posterior pituitary lobe. J. Pediatr. Endocrinol. Metab. 23, 607–612 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. R.V. Lloyd, C.J. D’Amato, M.T. Thiny, L. Jin, S.P. Hicks, W.F. Chandler, Corticotroph (Basophil) invasion of the pars nervosa in the human pituitary: localization of proopiomelanocortin peptides, galanin and peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase-like immunoreactivities. Endocr. Pathol. 4, 86–94 (1993)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Endocrinology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain

    Pedro Iglesias & Juan José Díez

  2. Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Puerta de Hierro Segovia de Arana (IDIPHISA), Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain

    Pedro Iglesias & Juan José Díez

  3. Hospital Universitario Bellvitge l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain

    Fernando Guerrero-Pérez & Carles Villabona

  4. Department of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Juan José Díez

Authors
  1. Pedro Iglesias
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Fernando Guerrero-Pérez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Carles Villabona
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Juan José Díez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pedro Iglesias.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Iglesias, P., Guerrero-Pérez, F., Villabona, C. et al. Adenohypophyseal hyperfunction syndromes and posterior pituitary tumors: prevalence, clinical characteristics, and pathophysiological mechanisms. Endocrine 70, 15–23 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-020-02399-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-020-02399-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation