Two cases of pituitary Crooke's cell adenoma without Cushing's disease: A histologic, immunocytochemical, electron microscopic and in situ hybridization study

Citation
K. Kovacs et al., Two cases of pituitary Crooke's cell adenoma without Cushing's disease: A histologic, immunocytochemical, electron microscopic and in situ hybridization study, ENDOCR PATH, 10(1), 1999, pp. 65-72
Citations number
30
Categorie Soggetti
Endocrinology, Nutrition & Metabolism
Journal title
ENDOCRINE PATHOLOGY
ISSN journal
10463976 → ACNP
Volume
10
Issue
1
Year of publication
1999
Pages
65 - 72
Database
ISI
SICI code
1046-3976(199921)10:1<65:TCOPCC>2.0.ZU;2-Q
Abstract
Presented herein are the morphologic features of two cases of pituitary Cro oke's cell adenoma unassociated with Gushing's disease. Both were removed s urgically, one from a 62-yr-old woman and the other from a 37-yr-old man. C rooke's cell adenomas are rare. All previously published cases were associa ted with clinical and laboratory evidence of Gushing's disease. The two cas es presented here are the first that were unaccompanied by adrenocorticotro pin (ACTH)-cortisol excess. Crooke's cell adenomas are composed of abnormal corticotrophs containing periodic acid-Schiff- (PAS) negative, ACTH-immuno negative, and keratin-immunoreactive cytoplasmic microfilaments filling lar ge areas of the cytoplasm and displacing other organelles. Adenomatous Croo ke's cells express proopiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA. The question of whether the absence of ACTH-cortisol hypersecretion in our two cases is mediated v ia functioning glucocorticoid receptors in the adenoma cells or whether oth er mechanisms are involved remains to be elucidated.