title: Harvey Cushing's attempt at the first human pituitary transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This case study illustrates Harvey Cushing's pioneering work in pituitary transplantation in the early 20th century and the essential relationship between laboratory research and clinical practice. In 1911, a 48 year-old man presented at Johns Hopkins Hospital with bitemporal hemianopsia, hypothermia, hypersomnolence, decreased libido, polydypsia and polyuria.
  
  
  METHODS
  A review of the Johns Hopkins Hospital surgical records from 1896-1912 on a patient with hypopituitarism secondary to a suprasellar mass, in whom the first documented pituitary gland transplantation was performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  A diagnosis of hypopituitarism was made. Postmortem examination revealed a cystic cavity lined with squamous epithelium.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patient was treated with whole-gland pituitary extract, which improved his symptoms only temporarily. Cushing transplanted a pituitary gland obtained from a spontaneously aborted fetus into the cerebral cortex of the patient, who showed marked improvement of his somnolence and confusion, whereas his polyuria and polydypsia persisted. A recurrence of symptoms after 6 weeks prompted Cushing to attempt a second transplant of a fetal pituitary gland, without improvement. The patient resumed hormonal supplementation with whole-gland pituitary extract, but died a month after the second transplant from respiratory complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery and Oncology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 1550 Orleans Street, Cancer Research Building II, Room 253, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA.
authors.forename: Courtney
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pendleton
authors.forename: Hasan A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Zaidi
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pradilla
authors.forename: Aaron A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Cohen-Gadol
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quiñones-Hinojosa
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000266:history*; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D012658:Sella Turcica / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014020:Tissue Extracts