scholarly journals A Rare Corticotroph-Secreting Tumor with Coexisting Prolactin and Growth Hormone Staining Cells

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subramanian Kannan ◽  
Susan M. Staugaitis ◽  
Robert J. Weil ◽  
Betul Hatipoglu

Pituitary adenomas can express and secrete different hormones. Expression of pituitary hormones in nonneoplastic pituitary cells is regulated by different transcription factors. Some pituitary adenomas show plurihormonal expression. The most commonly reported plurihormonal adenomas are composed of somatotrophs, lactotrophs, thyrotrophs and gonadotrophs. Pituitary adenomas composed of both corticotroph and somatolactotroph secreting cells are not common because transcription factors regulating the expression of these hormones are different. We report a rare case of pituitary adenoma with concomitant corticotroph, prolactin, and growth hormone staining cells, review literature on similar cases, and discuss possible biological mechanisms underlying these plurihormonal tumors.

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hatem Eid

Abstract Introduction: Secreting pituitary adenoma is exceedingly rare. Less than 15 cases having been reported. Its clinical presentation and diagnosis is challenging. We report a case of pituitary macroadenoma, with features of acromegaly and hyperthyroidism. Case report: A 75 years’ old man presented with new onset atrial fibrillation. He had high FT4 with normal TSH. His ultrasound scan of the neck showed a solitary nodule. He had ablation twice and was started on bisoprolol and anticoagulant. He had MRI scan for headaches and this showed a pituitary macroadenoma. He had high IGF-1. His oral glucose tolerance showed failure of GH suppression. His FT4 was persistently high with normal TSH and he had high a subunits. This suggested the diagnosis of TSH and GH secreting pituitary adenoma. Discussion: TSH-secreting pituitary adenomas are rare and not uncommonly, they co-secrete other pituitary hormones including growth hormones. Somatotrophs and lactotrops share common transcription factors with thyrotrophs. TSH-secreting adenomas are benign but 60% of them are locally invasive. TSH-secreting pituitary adenomas typically present with either symptoms of tumor growth like headache or visual field disturbance or symptoms of hyperthyroidism. Thyroid nodules are common in patients with TSHomas. In patients with TSH-secreting pituitary adenomas, majority will need only surgery and radiation. The medical treatment used to normalize TSH and FT4 levels is somatostatin analogs. This is effective in about 90% of patients with TSH secreting pituitary adenomas TSHoma should be differentiated from resistance to thyroid (RTH). The main difference between TSHoma and RTH is the presence of signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism in patients with TSHoma, absence of a family history, normal thyroid hormone levels in family members, and the presence of an elevated glycoprotein α-subunit in patients with pituitary tumor. Reference: H Adams and D Adams. A case of a co-secreting TSH and growth hormone pituitary adenoma presenting with a thyroid nodule. EDM case reports 2018 [email protected]


Author(s):  
Laura Hamilton Adams ◽  
Derick Adams

Summary Co-secreting TSH and growth hormone pituitary adenomas are rare. We present a case of a 55-year-old woman who presented with symptoms of neck fullness. Ultrasound revealed multiple thyroid nodules and examination revealed several clinical features of acromegaly. She was found to have a co-secreting TSH and growth hormone pituitary macroadenoma. She underwent surgical resection followed by gamma knife radiation, which resulted in complete remission of her TSH and GH-secreting adenoma. Learning points: TSH-secreting pituitary adenomas are rare and about one-third co-secrete other hormones. Thyroid nodules are common in acromegaly and can be the presenting sign of a growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma. In the workup of acromegaly, assessment of other pituitary hormones is essential, even in the absence of symptoms of other pituitary hormone dysfunction. Complete remission of co-secreting GH and TSH pituitary macroadenomas is possible with surgery and radiation alone.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ebtesam Allehaibi ◽  
Mussa H. AlMalki ◽  
Imad Brema

Abstract Background Plurihormonal pituitary adenomas are a unique type of pituitary adenomas that secrete two or more pituitary hormones normally associated with separate cell types that have different immunocytochemical and ultrastructural features. Although they represent 10–15% of all pituitary tumors, only a small fraction of plurihormonal pituitary adenomas clinically secrete multiple hormones. The most common hormone combinations secreted by plurihormonal pituitary adenomas are growth hormone, prolactin, and one or more glycoprotein hormones. The most common hormonal symptom is acromegaly (50%). The aim of this case report is to bring awareness about this rare type of pituitary adenomas and to describe the unique presentation of our patient, even though plurihormonal pituitary adenomas are known mostly as a clinically silent tumors. Case presentation Herein, we describe an unusual case of plurihormonal pituitary adenoma with triple-positive staining for adrenocorticotropic hormone, growth hormone, and prolactin. The patient is a 65-year-old Egyptian woman who presented with mass effect symptoms of the pituitary tumor, which primarily manifested as severe headache and visual field defects. She also presented with some cushingoid features, and further analysis confirmed Cushing’s disease; slightly high prolactin and normal growth hormone levels were observed. She underwent transsphenoidal surgery and has been in remission thus far. Only a few cases have been reported in the literature, but none has exhibited silent acromegaly or mass effect symptoms as the initial presentation. Conclusion This case highlights an unusual plurihormonal pituitary adenoma case with a rare combination of secreted hormones; mass effect symptoms were dominant, as were uncommon visual field defects. Our case further proves that immunohistochemical analyses of all pituitary hormones are needed to ensure correct diagnosis and to alert clinicians to the need for more rigorous follow-up due to the higher morbidity of these patients. Our case report approval number Federal Wide Assurance NIH, USA is FWA00018774 IRB registration number with OHRP/NIH is IRB00010471.


Endocrinology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 154 (5) ◽  
pp. 1690-1700 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica Gentilin ◽  
Federico Tagliati ◽  
Carlo Filieri ◽  
Daniela Molè ◽  
Mariella Minoia ◽  
...  

Abstract The functional aftermath of microRNA (miRNA) dysregulation in ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas has not been demonstrated. miRNAs represent diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers as well as putative therapeutic targets; their investigation may shed light on the mechanisms that underpin pituitary adenoma development and progression. Drugs interacting with such pathways may help in achieving disease control also in the settings of ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas. We investigated the expression of 10 miRNAs among those that were found as most dysregulated in human pituitary adenoma tissues in the settings of a murine ACTH-secreting pituitary adenoma cell line, AtT20/D16v-F2. The selected miRNAs to be submitted to further investigation in AtT20/D16v-F2 cells represent an expression panel including 5 up-regulated and 5 down-regulated miRNAs. Among these, we selected the most dysregulated mouse miRNA and searched for miRNA targets and their biological function. We found that AtT20/D16v-F2 cells have a specific miRNA expression profile and that miR-26a is the most dysregulated miRNA. The latter is overexpressed in human pituitary adenomas and can control viable cell number in the in vitro model without involving caspase 3/7-mediated apoptosis. We demonstrated that protein kinase Cδ (PRKCD) is a direct target of miR-26a and that miR26a inhibition delays the cell cycle in G1 phase. This effect involves down-regulation of cyclin E and cyclin A expression via PRKCD modulation. miR-26a and related pathways, such as PRKCD, play an important role in cell cycle control of ACTH pituitary cells, opening new therapeutic possibilities for the treatment of persistent/recurrent Cushing's disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A581-A582
Author(s):  
Ivan Augusto Rivera Nazario ◽  
Kyomara Hernandez Moya ◽  
Arnaldo Nieves Ortiz ◽  
Jose Ayala Rivera ◽  
Arnaldo Rojas Figueroa ◽  
...  

Abstract Acromegaly is an uncommon clinical syndrome that results from excessive secretion of growth hormone with an annual incidence of 6 to 8 cases per 1 million of individuals with a mean age of diagnosis between 40-45 years. Pituitary adenomas can be the principal reason for an overgrowth of the anterior pituitary somatotroph cells, and account for approximately one-third of all hormone-secreting pituitary adenomas with a prevalence of about 38-69 cases per 1 million and an incidence of 3-4 cases per 1 million individuals. The onset of acromegaly is insidious, and its progression is usually very slow. At the moment of diagnosis, approximately 75% of patients have presence of macro adenomas, but most cases are diagnosed after several laboratory workups and incidental brain imaging. A characteristic clinical presentation of pituitary adenomas could be secondary to mass effect. Metabolic presentation such as diabetes is one of the most common related conditions preceding the diagnosis of acromegaly. Clinical presentation with abrupt onset of DKA could be a determining factor on disease progression due to higher GH levels correlating with an increased prevalence of insulin resistance. We present a rare case of a 28y/o female G5P3A2 without previous PMHx who presented to ER with abdominal pain, general malaise, slurred speech, headache and gait difficulty of 3 days of evolution. Upon initial evaluation at ER patient was found with hyperglycemia of 317mg/dL, low central bicarbonate, high anion gap and positive serum ketones suggestive of DKA de novo. Based on neurological complaints, head CT performed showed an incidental parasellar/suprasellar/temporal hyperdense mass measuring 2.5cm x 2.6cm with optic chiasm compression features. Upon further specific questioning patient referred amenorrhea for the past 3 years, bitemporal hemianopsia, galactorrhea and marked facial feature changes, frontal bossing, weight gain, and acanthosis nigricans, for the past year. Pituitary adenoma workup revealed low prolactin levels (1.38), markedly increased growth hormone (501) and IGF-1 (893) suggesting diagnosis of acromegaly, most likely secondary to a functioning macroadenoma. Patient initially treated with Cabergoline, uncontrolled diabetes was managed and was referred to Neurosurgery service for further evaluation and tumor removal. Based on current literature, the incidence of acromegaly cases is low, more specifically when presenting with new onset diabetic ketoacidosis, insulin resistance and secondary to functioning macroadenomas. Medical awareness should be promoted to assess for careful consideration of signs and symptoms, workup, management and treatment to assess and minimize further health complications and physical burdens acromegaly and pituitary adenomas could pose for affected individuals.


2008 ◽  
Vol 04 (01) ◽  
pp. 88
Author(s):  
Sandra Pekic ◽  
Vera Popovic-Brkic

Pituitary adenomas are common benign monoclonal neoplasms— accounting for 15% of intracranial neoplasms—that may be clinically silent or secrete anterior pituitary hormones such as prolactin, growth hormone (GH), adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), or, rarely, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) or gonadotrophins. Radiological studies for other reasons using high-resolution computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detect incidental pituitary adenomas in approximately 20% of asymptomatic patients.1The incidence of the various types of adenoma varies;2prolactinomas are the most common pituitary adenomas. Clinically non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs), which do not secrete hormones, often cause local mass symptoms and represent one-third of pituitary adenomas. GH- and ACTH-producing adenomas each account for 10–15% of pituitary adenomas, while TSH-producing adenomas are rare. Pituitary adenomas are infrequent in childhood: fewer than 10% of pituitary adenomas are diagnosed before 20 years of age.3These adenomas can be either microor macroadenomas. The natural course of microadenomas is that a few tumors enlarge over a period of more than eight years.Although several genes and signaling pathways have been identified as important factors in the development of pituitary tumors, our understanding of pituitary tumorigenesis remains incomplete and is the focus of current research. The reason for this is that current treatment modalities fail to completely control this disorder and prevent the associated morbidity and mortality. This article reviews the advances in our understanding of pituitary adenoma, especially in the field of pathogenesis of pituitary tumors, and the possibility of new therapeutic approaches.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bahadir Koylu ◽  
Suleyman Nahit Sendur ◽  
Seda Hanife Oguz ◽  
Selcuk Dagdelen ◽  
Tomris A Erbas

Abstract The prevalence of growth hormone (GH)-secreting pituitary adenoma is around 11-13% of all pituitary adenomas. Giant GH-secreting pituitary adenomas (≥ 4 cm) are rare tumors, and its prevalence of among acromegalic patients is <5%. This is a retrospective cohort study including patients with giant GH-secreting pituitary adenomas. The study population consisted of 10 patients (5 M/5 F). The mean age at diagnosis was 33.0±12.9 yrs (11-55 yrs). The mean delay between first symptom onset and diagnosis was 2.9 years. The most frequent symptoms were acral enlargement and facial changes (80%), followed by headache (70%) and visual deterioration (50%). One patient had epilepsy. Amenorrhea was presented in three females but obvious galactorrhea in two. The mean adenoma diameter was 42.6±4.7 mm (40-51 mm) at diagnosis. The vast majority of adenomas presented suprasellar extension (100%) or cavernous sinus invasion (80%). Cystic adenomas accounted for 50%. At presentation, mean GH and IGF-1 levels were 40.0±21.4 ng/mL (14.8-51.0) and 2.62±1.09 x ULN (1.08-3.96), respectively. Six patients presented with PRL cosecretion. At diagnosis maximal tumor diameter was not correlated with GH or IGF-1 levels. All patients underwent pituitary surgery as first-line treatment. Three cases were treated with an endoscopic approach and four cases with a microscopic approach. Transcranial approach was also employed in three cases. Postoperative mean GH and IGF-1 levels were 14.9±16.1 ng/mL (0.6-51.0) and 2.25.±0.82 x ULN (1.48-3.74), respectively. After first surgery, only one patient had more than 50% reduction in IGF-1 levels. Five patients (50%) underwent repeat surgery on two to three procedures because remission was not achieved. Postoperative somatostatin receptor ligands (SRLs) were used by all patients. Six patients were treated with dopamine agonist in combination with SRL. Six patients (60%) received postoperative radiotherapy. The mean follow-up period was 12.6±5.3 yrs (4-21 yrs). The mean GH and IGF-1 levels were 1.47±1.54 ng/mL (0.08-5.25) and 0.73±0.44 x ULN (0.08-1.56), respectively at the last visit. Residual adenoma was present at the last MRI in eight patients (mean diameter 9.0±3.6 mm). Panhypopituitarism rose from 10% at baseline to 30% at the last visit. During follow-up, one patient diagnosed breast cancer, while another diagnosed thyroid papillary cancer. Giant GH-secreting pituitary adenomas can have a clinically aggressive behavior with mass effect. Moreover, treatment in patients with giant GH-secreting pituitary adenoma is complex and multimodal therapy is necessary.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheol Ryong Ku ◽  
Hyeonseob Lim ◽  
Yang Jong Lee ◽  
Sun Ho Kim ◽  
Daham Kim ◽  
...  

AbstractWe aimed to identify somatic genetic alterations in pure growth hormone (GH)-secreting pituitary adenomas without GNAS variants. Patients with GH-secreting pituitary adenoma who underwent transsphenoidal adenomectomy at Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine were recruited. Somatic genetic alterations were profiled by whole-exome sequencing (WES) and targeted resequencing. WES was performed using DNA from nine GH-secreting pituitary tumors and corresponding blood samples. Absence of GNAS variant was confirmed by Sanger sequencing. For targeted resequencing of 140 fixed tissues, 48 WES-derived candidate genes and 7 GH-secreting pituitary adenoma-associated genes were included. Forty-eight genes with 59 somatic variants were identified by WES. In targeted resequencing, variants in 26 recurrent genes, including MAST4, PRIM2, TNN, STARD9, DNAH11, DOCK4, GPR98, BCHE, DARS, CUBN, NGDN, PLXND1, UNC5B, and COL22A1, were identified, but variants in previously reported genes were not detected. BCHE, DARS, NGDN, and UNC5B variants were associated with increased GH-secreting pituitary tumor biochemical activity, which was confirmed in vitro. Although recurrent point variants were rare, several somatic variants were identified in sporadic pure GH-secreting pituitary adenomas. Several somatic variants may affect pathways involved in the tumorigenesis and biochemical activities of GH-secreting pituitary adenomas.


2006 ◽  
Vol 290 (5) ◽  
pp. E982-E988 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriella Segal-Lieberman ◽  
Hadara Rubinfeld ◽  
Moran Glick ◽  
Noga Kronfeld-Schor ◽  
Ilan Shimon

Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), a 19-amino acid orexigenic (appetite-stimulating) hypothalamic peptide, is an important regulator of energy homeostasis. It is cleaved from its precursor prepro-MCH (ppMCH) along with several other neuropeptides whose roles are not fully defined. Because pituitary hormones such as growth hormone (GH), ACTH, and thyroid-stimulating hormone affect body weight and composition, appetite, insulin sensitivity, and lipoprotein metabolism, we investigated whether MCH exerts direct effects on the human pituitary to regulate energy balance using dispersed human fetal pituitaries (21–22 wk gestation) and cultured GH-secreting adenomas. We found that MCH receptor-1 (MCH-R1), but not MCH receptor-2, is expressed in both normal (fetal and adult) human pituitary tissues and in GH cell adenomas. MCH (10 nM) stimulated GH release from human fetal pituitary cultures by up to 62% during a 4-h incubation ( P < 0.05). Interestingly, neuropeptide EI (10 nM), which is also cleaved from ppMCH, increased human GH secretion by up to 124% in fetal pituitaries. A milder, albeit significant, induction of GH secretion by MCH (20%) was seen in cultured GH-secreting pituitary adenomas. A comparable stimulation of GH secretion was seen when cultured mouse pituitary cells were treated with MCH. Treatment of cultured GH adenoma cells with MCH (100 nM) induced extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 phosphorylation, suggesting activation of MCH-R1. In aggregate, these data suggest that MCH may regulate pituitary GH secretion and imply a potential cross-talk mechanism between appetite-regulating neuropeptides and pituitary hormones.


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