Pre- and peroperative misdiagnosed sellar tumour

Acta Clin Belg. 1998 Jun;53(3):203-5.

Abstract

We describe the case of a 76-year old woman complaining of headaches and progressive sight loss. Cerebral CT scan and MRI disclosed a large sellar tumour. Endocrine evaluation showed no evidence of pituitary hypersecretion, but a slight hyperprolactinemia related to stalk compression. A non-functioning pituitary adenoma was suspected. The pathological diagnosis was however a meningioma. In the literature, about 5% of sellar tumours are not pituitary adenomas and this is an alternate diagnosis to consider in the presence of non-secreting macroadenomas.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adenoma / diagnosis*
  • Aged
  • Brain Neoplasms / complications
  • Brain Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Diagnostic Errors*
  • Female
  • Headache / etiology
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Meningioma / complications
  • Meningioma / diagnosis*
  • Pituitary Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Preoperative Care* / methods
  • Sella Turcica*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Vision Disorders / etiology