A case of Rathke's cleft cyst presenting with amenorrhea

Abstract

A 28-year-old female presented with Rathke’s cleft cysts (RCC) manifesting as primary amenorrhea and no development of secondary sexual characteristics. She had no symptoms of headache, visual disturbance, anosmia or galactorrhea.. The endocrinologic study demonstrated partial hypopituitarism. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed about 1.5 cm sized sellar and suprasellar cystic tumor, extending into the pituitary stalk. Its tentative diagnosis was benign pituitary cystic tumor, such as RCC. She underwent surgery by a transsphenoidal approach. Histological examination revealed a ciliated columnar epithelium those consistent with RCC. RCC is rarely symptomatic, but mechanical compression by the cyst or infl ammation itself causes headache, visual fi eld defects, or symptoms of pituitary dysfunction. The present case shows that RCC may manifest as hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.