BACKGROUND: Ectopic pituitary adenomas are rare. Only 29 cases are reported in the literature. The clivus was involved in some cases but sella turcica was occasionally involved. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: Headache was the first symptom of a 47-year-old woman. Radiological examination diagnosed a clivus tumour. No connection with the pituitary gland was observed. Pre-operative diagnosis was metastasis of an unknown cancer. INTERVENTION: By a transphenoidal approach, we removed a haemorrhagic tumour. No connection between the normal pituitary gland and the tumour was observed. Neuropathological analysis showed a prolactinoma. CONCLUSION: We report a rare case of an ectopic prolactinoma in the clivus unrelated to the pituitary gland. Only one other case has been reported in the literature.
BACKGROUND: Ectopic pituitary adenomas are rare. Only 29 cases are reported in the literature. The clivus was involved in some cases but sella turcica was occasionally involved. CLINICAL PRESENTATION:Headache was the first symptom of a 47-year-old woman. Radiological examination diagnosed a clivus tumour. No connection with the pituitary gland was observed. Pre-operative diagnosis was metastasis of an unknown cancer. INTERVENTION: By a transphenoidal approach, we removed a haemorrhagic tumour. No connection between the normal pituitary gland and the tumour was observed. Neuropathological analysis showed a prolactinoma. CONCLUSION: We report a rare case of an ectopic prolactinoma in the clivus unrelated to the pituitary gland. Only one other case has been reported in the literature.
Authors: Constantine L Karras; Isaac Josh Abecassis; Zachary A Abecassis; Joseph G Adel; Esther N Bit-Ivan; Rakesh K Chandra; Bernard R Bendok Journal: Case Rep Neurol Med Date: 2016-01-13