Clinical, biochemical and immunoelectron microscopical evidence of dual hormone production in a mammosomatotroph cell adenoma.
This paper reports the occurrence of a rare, yet distinct pituitary adenoma which was surgically removed from a 42-year-old male with both clinical and biochemical evidence of acromegaly and mild hyperprolactinaemia. The monomorphic adenoma consisted of mature cells which were ultrastructurally indistinguishable from those of a prolactinoma. Electron immunocytochemistry, including a series of double-labelling techniques using selected colloidal gold particles as markers, indicated the presence of a pituitary adenoma in which the cells were capable of simultaneously producing growth hormone and prolactin and packaging them within the same secretory granule. This is thought to represent a mammosomatotroph cell adenoma.
Cameron
S
S
Department of Pathology, Queen's University, Belfast, Northern Ireland, U.K.
Allen
I
I
Ozo
C
C
Kennedy
L
L
Atkinson
B
B
Hadden
D
D
D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000328:Adult; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011388:Prolactin / Q000378:metabolism*
D011388:Prolactin; D013006:Growth Hormone