Silent necrosis of a pituitary corticotroph adenoma revealed by timely magnetic resonance imaging: a cause of spontaneous remission of Cushing's disease

• Published in: European journal of endocrinology Vol. 130; no. 5; p. 469
• Main Authors: Le Nestour, E, Abécassis, J P, Bertagna, X, Bonnin, A, Luton, J P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-05-1994
• Subjects: Adenoma - complications; Adenoma - pathology; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone - blood; Cushing Syndrome - etiology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - complications; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Hydrocortisone - blood; Hydrocortisone - urine; Hypertension - complications; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Middle Aged; Necrosis; Neoplasm Regression, Spontaneous; Pituitary Neoplasms - complications; Pituitary Neoplasms - pathology
• ISSN: 0804-4643
• DOI: 10.1530/eje.0.1300469

Spontaneous necrosis of a corticotroph adenoma is rare and is a very unlikely way of curing Cushing's disease. We report hereafter a case where magnetic resonance imaging of the pituitary provided clear evidence of the event. Successive and timely pituitary magnetic resonance imaging in this patient showed first a typical microadenoma as a well-limited mass with a low signal intensity before the necrosis, then a bright signal before gadolinium injection in the T1-weighted image at the time of the event and, finally, the aspect of an empty sella turcica with a small arachnoidocele 1 year later. The necrosis of a corticotroph adenoma is more frequent in macro- than in microadenomas, and is usually heralded by headache and visual disturbances. In this case, pituitary necrosis was entirely asymptomatic, and cured the patient as well as the surgeon's knife would have. Nevertheless, this exceptional occurrence does not rule out the possibility of a recurrence.