Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: We present a case of probable cyclical Cushing’s syndrome (CS) masquerading as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) which went undetected for almost a decade. Our case highlights the subtleties and complexities of interpreting diagnostic tests in patients with cyclical endogenous hypercorticolism.Case: A 33-year old female with presumed PCOS presented with a seven year history of persistent hirsutism and acne. However there was no menstr...

Introduction: Giant prolactinomas are uncommon tumours and typically exceed 40 mm. These tumours are locally invasive but still respond to dopamine agonist therapy. The medical management of cystic giant prolactinomas with dopamine agonists is controversial as the non-solid components of these aggressive tumours are believed to respond poorly to drug therapy. We present a case of a giant cystic invasive prolactinoma masquerading as a multilobular schwannoma that was successful...

Background: Macroprolactinomas account for 10% of prolactin secreting tumours. There are few studies looking at the long-term outcome of these tumours. This study analysed clinical, endocrine and radiological characteristics of macroprolactinomas and evaluated the long-term management of these patients in a tertiary care centre.Methods: Retrospective audit of 21 consecutive cases of macroprolactinomas diagnosed between 1995 and 2007 in Teesside.<p cl...

Introduction: Metastases to the hypothalamus and pituitary gland account for 1–2% of sella masses. The primary malignancy may be occult at the time of diagnosis and metastatic lesions are often detected incidentally. We present a case of metastatic renal cell carcinoma presenting as a vascular pituitary tumour.Case history: A 68-year-old lady presented with headaches and diplopia secondary to right abducent nerve palsy. CT Angiography revealed an in...

Pituitary apoplexy is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition caused by pituitary infarction or haemorrhage. We have retrospectively analysed 16 patients (10 male, 6 female) with pituitary apoplexy, who presented to our institutions between 1992-2002. The mean age at presentation was 49 years (range 24-72). Only two (12%) patients had previously known pituitary tumours. Pituitary apoplexy was precipitated by major surgery in two patients (coronary artery bypass graft...

We examined the results of treatment of adult Cushing's disease by transphenoidal surgery by a single neurosurgeon (MP). Patients with Nelson's syndrome and those who previously had received treatment for Cushing's by a different surgeon were excluded. We reviewed the pituitary database and patient records for all patients operated between 1988 and 2000 with clear pre-operative evidence of Cushing's disease. 117 patients had clear evidence of a pituitary source of excess ACTH....