Open AccessGangliocytoma: outcome of a rare silent pituitary tumour
Author(s) -
Bruno Donadille,
Chiara Villa,
Stéphan Gaillard,
Sophie ChristinMaitre
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
bmj case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.231
H-Index - 26
ISSN - 1757-790X
DOI - 10.1136/bcr-2016-218859
Subject(s) - pituitary adenoma , prolactin , adrenocorticotropic hormone , hormone , medicine , neuroendocrinology , endocrine system , pituitary gland , corticotropic cell , somatotropic cell , endocrinology , anterior pituitary , endocrine gland , pituitary tumors , adenoma
The most common finding in front of a pituitary incidentaloma is a silent pituitary adenoma. We describe a 59 years old woman with a pituitary gangliocytoma and her follow-up after 1 year. Hormonal exploration only evidenced partial corticotropic insufficiency. A trans-sphenoidal surgery was performed due to the tumour's suprasellar expansion. Gangliocytoma is a benign tumour of unknown prevalence, belonging to central nervous system tumour with neuronal differentiation, and 129 cases have been reported in the literature. growth hormone (GH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) or prolactin secretions have been reported, as these ganglion cell-like mature neurons are usually mixed with secreting pituitary endocrine cells. We report a case with a pure gangliocytoma devoid of symptomatic endocrine secretion, not surrounded by pituitary endocrine tumour cells. Immunochemistry of the tumour was positive for hypothalamic growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) and pituitary hormones, such as GH and ACTH. Hence, this immunoexpression was not associated with peripheral hormonal secretions, suggesting biologically inactive hypothalamopituitary hormones.