Pituitary pathology in Cushing's disease

Abstract

Pituitaries of 137 cases with Cushing's disease were microscopically and immunohistologically studied. Many alterations and parameters (sex, age, anamnesis, cortisol plasma levels, tumor size, invasiveness, localization, differentiation of adenomas, immunohistological hormone content, capillarity, recurrences, peritumorous ACTH cell hyperplasia, and Crooke's cells) were analyzed and compared. Whereas most parameters were not correlated, we found some important statistically significant correlations: Undifferentiated adenomas are more frequently invasive than differentiated ones. Invasive adenomas recur more frequently than non-invasive adenomas. Extremely laterally localized adenomas are more often invasive. Larger adenomas are more frequently invasive than micro-adenomas. ACTH cell hyperplasia are more often demonstrable in specimens from total hypophysectomies (confined to our earlier series) than from partial hypophysectomies and adenomectomies. Recurrences of adenomas are more frequent in pituitaries with periadenomous ACTH cell hyperplasia. Very rarely ACTH cell hyperplasia are the only source of ACTH hyperfunction. The more Crooke's cells are demonstrable, the longer the post-operative replacement dose of Cortisol is required. Adenomas in Cushing's disease and adenomas in Nelson's syndrome differ significantly in the following points: Adenomas in Nelson's syndrome are larger and contain more plurinuclear cells. In the ultrastructure, adenomas in Cushing's disease show more cytofilaments. Paraadenomous Crooke's cells are lacking in Nelson's syndrome.