Adenocarcinoma of the salivary gland metastatic to the pituitary gland: case report.
OBJECTIVE
A case of metastasis to the pituitary gland from a ductal adenocarcinoma of the salivary gland is presented. Metastasis to this site is rare, and a salivary gland source has never previously been described.


METHODS
This patient presented with hypopituitarism, including diabetes insipidus.


METHODS
A craniotomy was performed to alleviate visual loss. The histological features of the sellar tumor were identical to those of a tumor removed from the parotid gland 18 months earlier.


CONCLUSIONS
Although intrasellar tumors originating from embryonic rests of salivary gland tissue have been reported, metastasis from a malignant neoplasm arising within a true salivary gland is also possible and should not be excluded from consideration for patients in whom a salivary gland-like tumor is discovered in the sella turcica.
McCutcheon
I E
IE
Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA. imccutch@notes.mdacc.tmc.edu
Kitagawa
R H
RH
Sherman
S I
SI
Bruner
J M
JM
D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*