RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 My approach to pathology of the pituitary gland
JF Journal of Clinical Pathology
JO J Clin Pathol
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Association of Clinical Pathologists
SP 1245
OP 1253
DO 10.1136/jcp.2005.031187
VO 59
IS 12
A1 N Y Y Al-Brahim
A1 S L Asa
YR 2006
UL http://jcp.bmj.com/content/59/12/1245.abstract
AB The sellar region is the site of a large number of pathological entities arising from the pituitary and adjacent anatomical structures, including brain, blood vessels, nerves and meninges. The surgical pathology of this area requires the accurate identification of neoplastic lesions, including pituitary adenoma and carcinoma, craniopharyngioma, neurological neoplasms, germ cell tumours, haematological malignancies and metastases, as well as non-neoplastic lesions such as cysts, hyperplasias and inflammatory disorders. This review provides a practical approach to the diagnosis of pituitary specimens that are sent to the pathologist at the time of surgery. The initial examination requires routine haematoxylin and eosin staining to establish whether the lesion is a primary adenohypophysial proliferation or one of the many other pathologies that occurs in this area. The most common lesions resected surgically are pituitary adenomas. These are evaluated with several special stains and immunohistochemical markers that are now available to accurately classify these pathologies. The complex subclassification of pituitary adenomas is now recognised to reflect specific clinical features and genetic changes that predict targeted treatments for patients with pituitary disorders.