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hCGβ PRODUCING PINEAL CHORIOCARCINOMA
Author(s) -
WASS J. A. H.,
JONES A. E.,
REES LESLEY H.,
BESSER G. M.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
clinical endocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1365-2265
pISSN - 0300-0664
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2265.1982.tb01609.x
Subject(s) - endocrinology , medicine , choriocarcinoma , endocrine system , hypopituitarism , precocious puberty , pineal gland , hypothalamus , cerebrospinal fluid , pinealoma , human chorionic gonadotropin , hormone , pathology , melatonin
SUMMARY A patient is described with tumours in the region of the pineal gland and anterior hypothalamus associated with high levels of hCGβ in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). He presented aged 19, with hypopituitarism, but persistent secondary sexual characteristics. LH immunoreactivity in serum was due to the hCGβ which probably caused the elevated level of testosterone. Following cranial irradiation the tumour became undetectable and hCGβ was eradicated from the serum and CSF. The patient later died because of an intramedullary metastasis of choriocarcinoma in the cervical spinal cord. The endocrine details of six previously reported intracranial neoplasms which have been shown to secrete hCGβ are reviewed. Only two of these involved the pineal region. Chorionic gonadotrophin production by this tumour enabled early detection of its recurrence. It is unclear how often precocious puberty is caused by tumours producing hCGβ, but patients presenting either with that problem or a pineal tumour should have circulating hCGβ measured.