A rare pituitary lesion

J Endocrinol Invest. 2000 Mar;23(3):189-92. doi: 10.1007/BF03343705.

Abstract

The majority of the sellar masses are pituitary adenomas. Non-adenomatous hypophyseal lesions are rare and include lymphocytic hypophysitis, idiopathic giant cell hypophysitis and granulomatous hypophysitis. The latter include lesions caused by conditions like tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, syphilis, histiocytosis X and mycotic infections. We report a case of a Sudanese woman who presented with a pituitary mass (presumed preoperatively to be an adenoma) and underwent trans-sphenoidal surgery. The final histopathology showed tuberculous hypophysitis. The patient did not have history of prior exposure to tuberculosis nor any evidence of infection elsewhere in the body. We also briefly review the literature on pituitary tuberculomas.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hypopituitarism / pathology*
  • Hypopituitarism / surgery
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Middle Aged
  • Pituitary Function Tests
  • Tuberculoma / pathology*
  • Tuberculoma / surgery