Multihormonal adenomas of the pituitary: immunohistochemical study of 13 cases
Félix, I.A.; Osorio, M.A.; Zárate, A.; Kovacs, K.
Archivos de Investigacion Medica 19(3): 231-240
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0066-6769 PMID: 3242434 Document Number: 314417
Thirteen cases of pituitary macroadenomas were immunohistochemically studied. Alplurihormonal pattern was observed. Nine patients were women while four were men; the average age was 36.8 yr. Six out of 13 patients had acromegaly and no demonstrable clinical endocrine syndrome in four patients. Six patients out the 13 patients had visual alterations suggestive of compressed optic chiasma. The immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated the presence of the following hormones: growth hormone (GH), TSH and altha subunit (AS) in most of the cases. GH was present in twelve cases, but AS was found in all cases of this series. By routine histological staining eight chromophobic tumors were demonstrated and five were both acidophilic and chromophobic (mixed tumors). On the other hand all histological specimens were PAS-negative. On the basis of present findings this paper to analyses the relevant theories to explain the cytogenesis of a multipotential cell or a common precursor which is able producing different hormones.