Pituitary carcinoma with liver metastases and Cushing syndrome. Report of a case.

A 38-year-old woman complained of headache, visual impairment, and diabetes insipidus for 18 months prior to rapid onset of Cushing syndrome and amenorrhea. An autopsy disclosed a pituitary carchinoma invading the right cavernous sinus and two liver metastases. The tumor cells were chromophobic and agranular, with scarce polymorphism and rare mitoses. A review of the literature showed that the association of Cushing syndrome to pituitary carcinomas increases in direct proportion to the occurence of metastases. Such association was noted in almost half of the reported cases of pituitary carcinomas with extracranial dissemination.