title: Undifferentiated sarcoma of the sellar region.
abstract: Malignancies lacking specific features of cellular maturation are termed "undifferentiated" and represent 5-10% of all human tumors. They are encountered at a variety of sites but do not, as a rule, arise in the sellar region. A 39-year-old male with a history of testicular seminoma and an unsuccessful biopsy of a third ventricular neoplasm, presented with visual disturbances and memory loss. Light microscopically, the tumor consisted entirely of undifferentiated spindle cells. No germ cell component was noted. An exhaustive immunohistochemical study found immunoreactivity for vimentin and desmin, but for no other myoid markers. Polymerase chain reaction showed no X;18 translocation. Based upon these studies, a diagnosis of "undifferentiated sarcoma" was made. Our case, being highly unusual among reported sellar neoplasms, underscores the difficulties inherent in the differential diagnosis of undifferentiated neoplasms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Branavan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Manoranjan
authors.forename: Luis V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Syro
authors.forename: Bernd W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Scheithauer
authors.forename: Leon D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Horvath
authors.forename: Fateme
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Salehi
authors.forename: Kalman
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kovacs
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Cusimano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D012658:Sella Turcica / Q000473:pathology*