title: Gangliocytoma: outcome of a rare silent pituitary tumour.
abstract: The most common finding in front of a pituitary incidentaloma is a silent pituitary adenoma. We describe a 59 years old woman with a pituitary gangliocytoma and her follow-up after 1 year. Hormonal exploration only evidenced partial corticotropic insufficiency. A trans-sphenoidal surgery was performed due to the tumour's suprasellar expansion. Gangliocytoma is a benign tumour of unknown prevalence, belonging to central nervous system tumour with neuronal differentiation, and 129 cases have been reported in the literature. growth hormone (GH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) or prolactin secretions have been reported, as these ganglion cell-like mature neurons are usually mixed with secreting pituitary endocrine cells. We report a case with a pure gangliocytoma devoid of symptomatic endocrine secretion, not surrounded by pituitary endocrine tumour cells. Immunochemistry of the tumour was positive for hypothalamic growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) and pituitary hormones, such as GH and ACTH. Hence, this immunoexpression was not associated with peripheral hormonal secretions, suggesting biologically inactive hypothalamopituitary hormones.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Assistance Publique-Hopital Saint Antoine, Hopitaux de Paris, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Donadille
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathological Cytology and Anatomy, Hopital Foch, Suresnes, Île-de-France, France.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Villa
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgery Department, Hopital Foch, Suresnes, Île-de-France, France.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gaillard
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Assistance Publique-Hopital Saint Antoine, Hopitaux de Paris, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Christin-Maitre
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005729:Ganglioneuroma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery