Symptomatic Rathke's cleft cyst coexisting with central diabetes insipidusand hypophysitis: Case report

We describe a 48-year-old female with acute onset of central diabetes insip idus followed by mild anterior pituitary dysfunction. Magnetic resonance im aging (MRI) revealed enlargement of the hypophysis-infundibulum accompanied by a cystic component. She underwent a transsphenoidal exploration of the sella turcica. Histological examination showed foreign body type xanthogran ulomatous inflammation in the neurohypophysis which might have been caused by rupture of a Rathke's cleft cyst. The MRI abnormalities and anterior pit uitary dysfunction improved after a short course of corticosteroid administ ration, but the diabetes insipidus persisted. The histological findings in this case indicated the site of RCC rupture and the direction of the progre ssion of RCC induced neurohypophysitis and adenohypophysitis.