PRE-OPERATIVE AND PEROPERATIVE MISDIAGNOSED SELLAR TUMOR

We describe the case of a 76-year old woman complaining of headaches a nd progressive sight loss. Cerebral CT-scan and MRI disclosed a large sellar tumour. Endocrine evaluation showed no evidence of pituitary hy persecretion, but a slight hyperprolactinemia related to stalk compres sion. A non-functioning pituitary adenoma was suspected. The pathologi cal diagnosis was however a meningioma. In the literature, about 5% of sellar tumours are not pituitary adenomas and this is an alternate di agnosis to consider in the presence of non-secreting macroadenomas.