Metallothionein (MT) family, intracellular zinc binding proteins, has been suggested to play an important regulatory role in zinc metabolism. The present study utilized light and confocal microscopic methods to investigate the expression pattern of MT-1, 2 and to determine the distribution and extent of colocalization of MT-1, 2 relative to subpopulations of S100 positive folliculostellate (FS) cells and somatotrophs in normal rat anterior pituitary. By light microscopy, MT-1, 2 immunoreactivity was observed both in pars intermedia and pars distalis of anterior pituitary. Confocal microscopy revealed that most MT immunoreactivity was colocalized in S100 positive FS cells, not in somatotrophs. This is the first report that FS cells in pars distalis contain MT-1, 2. These results suggest that MT family may be involved in regulation of hypophyseal endocrine functions and can be used as new markers of FS cells.
Animals ; Carrier Proteins ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Metabolism ; Metallothionein ; Microscopy ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Pituitary Gland, Anterior* ; Rats* ; Somatotrophs ; Zinc

The tumors containing ganglion cells are rare in the pituitary gland. These tumors are divided into two groups. The first group is the cases of mixed gangliocytoma-adenoma that contained both gangliocytoma and pituitary adenoma elements in the same tumor and the second group is those of gangliocytoma that contained only gangliocytoma element. Since the first description by Kiyono in 1926, 45 cases have been reported. The most common presentation of these tumors is acromegaly and the cases of Cushings disease and galactorrhea-amenorrhea also have been reported. In immunohistochemical study, hypothalamic-releasing hormones are stained in gangliocytoma cells and adenohypophyseal hormones are stained in adenoma cells. The releasing hormones stained in gangliocytoma element and the pituitary hormones stained in adenoma elements are usually closely related but unrelated cases also have been reported. We report a case of a 41 year-old lady with acromegaly which was diagnosed as mixed gangliocytoma-adenoma after surgical removal of the pituitary tumor.
Acromegaly* ; Adenoma ; Adult ; Ganglion Cysts ; Ganglioneuroma ; Humans ; Pituitary Gland* ; Pituitary Hormones ; Pituitary Hormones, Anterior ; Pituitary Neoplasms

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the signal intensity and size of anterior pituitary gland in postpartum women, and to compare with those of control group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 34 postpartum women(18-43 years, mean:27 years) and another 35 control nonpregnant women(20-29 years, mean :24 years), midsagittal Tl-weighted MR images were obtained. The signal intensity and height of the anterior pituitary gland were compared between the post-partum and normal control groups. RESULTS: In postpartum women, the signal intensity of the anterior pituitary gland relative to the pons was higher than that of the control gorup. Pituitary gland height of postpartum women was higher(5-11. 8mm, mean:8.18 +/- 1.8mm) than that of control group(2-9mm, mean :6.2 +/- 1.7mm). CONCLUSION: It is concluded that the hyperintensity of the anterior pituitary gland on Tl-weighted image is a normal finding in postpartum women, which is useful in differentiation from pituitary abnormality.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Pituitary Gland ; Pituitary Gland, Anterior* ; Pons ; Postpartum Period*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Estrous Cycle* ; Mice* ; Pituitary Gland, Anterior* ; Prolactin*

OBJECTIVE: Various lesions including tumors occupying in the presellar and suprasellar regions have been traditionally removed by the transcranial approach. The new modified transsphenoidal approaches(TSAs) have been proposed to avoid the craniotomy and to get better surgical view. MATERIALS AND PATIENTS: The sellar floor and presellar anterior cranial fossa were removed through the sublabial transseptal transsphenoidal technique in the "transsphenoidal supradiaphragmatic intradural approach". One tuberculum sella meningioma and a suprasellar Rathke's cleft cyst confined to the pituitary stalk were removed via this approach. RESULTS: The dissection of the anterior intercavernous sinus, diaphragma sella, and arachnoid membrane allowed a wide surgical field of pre- and suprasellar areas and facilitated a safe removal of lesions without significant surgical complications in our cases. CONCLUSION: From the authors' limited experience, the advantages of this technique are as follows: 1) it can be easily applicable through a minor modification of the standard TSA, 2) excellent anatomical exposure of the structures located in the supradiaphragmatic suprasellar cistern, and 3) might be suitable to remove small lesions located in the presellar and adjacent to the pituitary stalk region.
Arachnoid ; Cranial Fossa, Anterior ; Craniotomy ; Humans ; Membranes ; Meningioma ; Pituitary Gland

The relationship between the Ledig cell of testis and the tropic hormones of the anterior pituitary gland has been ineddquately expiored in man because of methodological difficulties levels in human serum. As testosterone in one of the most important anabolie hormones, it would therefore serve as an index to hormanal response to stress in man. This study was performed to inveatigate the effect of thalamonal-N2O-O2 anesthesia and surgery on human sex hormone by radioimmunoassay method. Measured serum testosterone lexels in the preanesthetic period, 60 minutes after anesthesia and surgery, and at full rectxary from anesthesia were 5.64ng/ml 4.40ng/ml and 5.02ng/ml, respectively.
Anesthesia* ; Humans ; Methods ; Pituitary Gland, Anterior ; Radioimmunoassay ; Testis ; Testosterone*

Lymphocytic hypophysitis, a rare inflammatory disorder in the pituitary gland that is often associated with pregnancy, is caused by autoimmune destruction of the pituitary gland evidenced by diffuse lymphocytic infiltration in the pituitary gland. We report a case of lymphocytic hypophysitis in a 38-year-old woman presenting with aggravating headache and sudden visual loss during pregnancy, which was misdiagnosed as pituitary adenoma before neurosurgery. Magnetic resonance imaging, with enhancement, showed an expanding 2.5x2.0x1.7 cm sized sellar mass. The patient underwent transsphenoidal surgery with a preoperative diagnosis of pituitary macroadenoma. A histological examination revealed diffuse lymphocytes and fibrosis of adenohypophysis with atrophy, which are characteristic of lymphocytic hypophysitis. We report a case of lymphocytic hypophysitis occurred during pregnancy with a brief review of literatures.
Adult ; Atrophy ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Headache ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neurosurgery ; Pituitary Gland ; Pituitary Gland, Anterior ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; Pregnancy*

We experienced one case of severe pituitary dwarfism in a 16 years old male boy that magnetic resonance image(MRI) revealed transection of the pituitary stalk with the ectopic location of posterior pituitary gland and hypoplastic anterior pituitary gland. The serum growth horrnone(GH) response to clonidine and L-dopa revealed severe GH deficiency. The patient revealed normal response in TSH, prolactin and LH, FSH to TRH and LHRH respectively. So far, the primary cause of idiopathic pituitary dwarfism in many patients was due to hypoxic injury to hypothalmus by perinatal insults. In this patients, there was no history of perinatal insults and postnatal head trauma. We report a case of severe dwarfism due to hypogenesis of anterior pituitary gland.
Clonidine ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Dwarfism ; Dwarfism, Pituitary ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Humans ; Levodopa ; Male ; Pituitary Gland ; Pituitary Gland, Anterior ; Pituitary Gland, Posterior ; Prolactin

PURPOSE: To demonstrate and evaluate the value of MRI findings of the TSH(Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone, TSH, Thyrotropin)-secreting pituitary adenoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors reviewed retrospectively the MR images of 4 patients with TSH-secreting pituiatary adenoma. Evaluation of the anatomical location, signal characteristics, enhancement patterns, size, shape and circunferential changes were made. RESULTS: No characteristic common MR findings in size, shape, signal intensity, and circumferential changes of TSH-secreting pituiatary adenoma waere observed among 4 cases(size; 5x7 mm to 10x11 mm, shape;ovoid to round, signal intensity;high in 1 case on T1 and T2WI, isosignal intensity in the other 3 cases, circumferential change; stalk deviation in 1 case, no stalk deviation in 3 cases). But, the tumors were centrally located at the anterior pituitary gland and showed relatively homogeneous signal intensity on MR images of all 4 patients. CONCLUSION: We conclude that centrally-located mass at the anterior pituitary gland with homogeneous signal intensity on MR image may be suggestive of the TSH-secreting pituitary adenoma, although the MR findings are not specific for the disease.
Adenoma ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Pituitary Gland, Anterior ; Pituitary Neoplasms* ; Retrospective Studies

Sheehan's syndrome occurs as a result of ischemic pituitary necrosis due to severe postpartum hemorrhage. The manifestations of this clinical syndrome are most often caused by a deficiency in the hormones produced by the anterior pituitary gland, whereas the neurohypophysis is usually preserved but can be involved in severe cases that manifest as diabetes insipidus. This is a report of Sheehan's syndrome that manifested with diabetes insipidus as presenting symptom 2 month's after delivery. The patient suffered massive bleeding, so received a blood transfusion. A combined pituitary stimulation and water deprivation test revealed deficiencies of not only anterior pituitary hormones, such as growth hormone and prolactin, but also of anti-diuretic hormone. We report this case, with a review of the literature.
Blood Transfusion ; Diabetes Insipidus ; Diabetes Insipidus, Neurogenic* ; Growth Hormone ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypopituitarism* ; Necrosis ; Pituitary Gland, Anterior ; Pituitary Gland, Posterior ; Pituitary Hormones, Anterior ; Postpartum Hemorrhage ; Prolactin ; Water Deprivation