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Primary tumors of the posterior pituitary: A systematic review

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Abstract

In 2017, the World Health Organization established that pituicytoma, granular cell tumor (GCT), spindle cell oncocytoma (SCO) and sellar ependymomas (SE) are posterior pituitary tumors (PPT). They probably arise from the pituicytes and may constitute a unique histopathological entity. We carried out a systematic review using PubMed’s database. A total of 266 patients with pathological diagnosis of PPT (135 pituicytomas, 69 GCT, 47 SCO, 8 SE and 7 mixed histology tumors) were analyzed. Gender distribution was identical and median age at diagnosis was 48 ± 21.8 years. Main presentation symptoms were visual disorders (n = 142; 58.1%), headache (n = 99; 40.5%), hypopituitarism (n = 84; 34.4%), hypercortisolism (n = 10; 4.1%), polyuriapolydipsia (n = 6; 2.4%) and acromegaly features (n = 5; 2.0%). On MRI, 122 (47.6%) patients showed sellar with suprasellar extension masses, 67 (23.1%) were suprasellar and 63 (24.6%) exclusively sellar. Median tumor size was 22.0 ± 14.2 mm. Two hundred sixty four patients underwent surgery, transphenoidal access was selected in 132 (64.4%) and craniotomy in 58 (28.3%). Complications were hypopituitarism (n = 70; 42.1%), diabetes insipidus (n = 55; 33.1%) and hemorrhage (n = 50; 30.1%). Tumor persisted in 93 patients (45.6%) and recurred in 13 (6.4%). Regarding comparison between main types of PPT, SCO patients were diagnosed later (60.0 vs 47.0 vs 47.0 years, p = 0.023), the tumor was larger 25.0 mm [10.8] vs 20.0 mm [14.2] vs 2.0 mm [15.0] and they were frequently sellar with suprasellar extension tumors (71.7% vs 46.2% vs 32.8%, p = 0.003) compared to pituicytoma and GCT. In conclusion, PPT are rare tumors and have been misdiagnosed mainly as non-functioning pituitary adenomas. Different types of PPT share similar epidemiology, clinical manifestations and surgical outcomes. Surgery is the only curative option but complications and subtotal resection are common.

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Data availability

The data generated and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Georgina Petropoulos Nouna for the language review of the paper.

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  1. Department of Endocrinology, Bellvitge University Hospital, Carrer de la Feixa Llarga, s/n, 08907 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain

    Fernando Guerrero-Pérez, Agustina Pia Marengo & Carles Villabona

  2. Department of Pathology, Bellvitge University Hospital, Carrer de la Feixa Llarga, s/n, 08907 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain

    Noemi Vidal

  3. Department of Endocrinology, Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda University Hospital, Calle Manuel de Falla, 1, 28222, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain

    Pedro Iglesias

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Guerrero-Pérez, F., Marengo, A.P., Vidal, N. et al. Primary tumors of the posterior pituitary: A systematic review. Rev Endocr Metab Disord 20, 219–238 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11154-019-09484-1

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