Argyrophil pituitary tumors showing TSH cells or small granule cells.

Among 74 histochemically and ultrastructurally studied pituitary adenomas, 12 apparently chromophobe tumors were characterized by the presence of numerous argyrophil cells. All these argyrophil adenomas failed to reveal presence of GH, prolactin or ACTH cells. Two tumors were found to consist of well granulated cells reacting intensely with anti-TSH antibodies and resembling TSH cells of the normal pituitary. The remaining argyrophil adenomas did not show TSH immunostaining and, with one exception, failed to react with an anti-HCG serum staining gonadotroph cells of human pituitary. They were composed of small, closely apposed cells with small compact or vesicular granules. These tumor cells seem to correspond to some small argyrophil cells found in non-neoplastic pituitary, which differ from TSH cells and from all other types of functionally identified adenohypophyseal cells.