Background: Pituitary carcinomas are rare neuroendocrine tumors affecting the adenohypophysis. The hallmark of these lesions is the demonstration of distant metastatic spread. To date, few well-documented cases have been reported in the literature. Case presentation: Here, wereport the case of a fatal pituitary carcinoma evolving within two years from an adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)-secreting macroadenoma and review the global literature regarding this rare neuroendocrine tumor. Conclusion: Pituitary carcinomas are extremely rare neoplasms, representing only 0.1% to 0.2% of all pituitary tumors. To date, little is understood about the molecular basis of malignant transformation. The latency period between initial presentation of a pituitary adenoma and the development of distal metastases marking carcinoma is extremely variable, and some patients may live well over 10 years with pituitary carcinoma. © 2009 Pinchot et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
CITATION STYLE
Pinchot, S. N., Sippel, R., & Chen, H. (2009, April 8). ACTH-producing carcinoma of the pituitary with refractory Cushing’s Disease and hepatic metastases: A case report and review of the literature. World Journal of Surgical Oncology. https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7819-7-39
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