Pituitary adenomas with infra-sellar extension into the nasopharynx

Three cases of pituitary adenomas with infra-sellar extension into the naso pharynx and the nasal cavities are reported. The clinical signs were epista xis, nasal obstruction, painful sinuses and purulent rhinorrhoea. The initi al diagnostic hypothesis was that of a carcinoma of the nasopharynx or the sinuses in all three cases. The diagnosis was made by histological examinat ion and measurement of plasma hormone levels. These cases highlight the dif ficulty in the diagnosis of such tumours due to their misleading clinical, radiological and histological features.