Open AccessMetastatic Spread to the Pituitary
Author(s) -
Ilan Shimon
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
neuroendocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.493
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1423-0194
pISSN - 0028-3835
DOI - 10.1159/000506810
Subject(s) - medicine , diabetes insipidus , hypopituitarism , pituitary gland , malignancy , metastasis , pathology , melanoma , prostate cancer , pituitary tumors , cancer , mammillary body , primary tumor , oncology , cancer research , hypothalamus , hormone
The pituitary fossa is an uncommon site for metastatic tumor spread. Metastatic lesions to the sellar area derived mostly from breast, lung, renal, prostate, and colon cancers, and rarely from other solid and hematologic malignancies. Almost every cancer has been reported as a source of pituitary metastasis. Pituitary metastasis can involve both the anterior and posterior lobes, but the neuro-hypophysis is mainly involved. Clinical manifestations include diabetes insipidus, hypopituitarism, headache, visual disturbances, ophthalmoplegia, and also compression of adjacent structures by aggressive tumor masses. Metastatic spread to the pituitary from a distant primary malignancy is commonly associated with metastases to other tissues and poor prognosis, unless efficient systemic targeted medical treatment is available for the primary cancer (melanoma, lymphoma).