Pituitary lymphoma presenting as fever of unknown origin

An 86-yr-old woman presented with fever of unknown origin. When laboratory evaluation revealed partial hypopituitarism, a magnetic resonance imaging s can of the head was performed and revealed a sellar mass consistent with a pituitary adenoma. Only after other possible etiologies for fever were excl uded did she undergo transsphenoidal resection of the sellar mass, which pr oved to be a B-cell lymphoma. Primary central nervous system lymphoma of th e pituitary region is a rare cause of a sellar mass, and this is the first reported case of pituitary lymphoma whose presenting manifestation was feve r of unknown origin. Several disease processes can manifest themselves as f ever and a sellar mass, including lymphomas. In our case, only surgical bio psy could make a diagnosis and distinguish this process from the more commo n pituitary adenoma.