"Exterritorial" lymphocytic hypophysitis within an ovarian teratoma during pregnancy: a possible sentinel lesion?

Schreiber-Facklam, Heide; Wagner, Anna M; Staehler, Kirsten; Surbek, Daniel; Kappeler, Andreas; Zimmermann, Arthur; Vajtai, Istvan (2009). "Exterritorial" lymphocytic hypophysitis within an ovarian teratoma during pregnancy: a possible sentinel lesion? Pathology, research and practice, 205(1), pp. 51-6. München: Elsevier 10.1016/j.prp.2008.08.005

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Pituitary tissue is rarely to be found among the constituents of ovarian teratomas (dermoid cysts). In some exceptional cases, however, such ectopic pituitary anlagen may even give rise to secondary organ-specific pathologies. Akin to those of the pituitary in its natural location, these tend to be adenomas. We describe a unique example of lymphocytic hypophysitis incidentally encountered in a mature left ovarian teratoma from a 30-year-old woman in the 19th week of pregnancy. Amidst various fully differentiated derivatives of all three embryonic layers, the cyst wall also included a miniature replica of the anterior pituitary lobe 0.5 cm in diameter. While a full set of adenohypophyseal hormone-producing cell types could be identified, there was characteristic pregnancy-related hyperplasia of lactotrophs. This was further overlaid by prominent mononuclear inflammation, including infiltration by T lymphocytes, follicular aggregates of B cells, and attendant destruction of parenchyma. There was no significant inflammatory reaction elsewhere. Discounting the non-standard location, the ensemble of the clinical setting and histology were felt to be indistinguishable from the classical paradigm of lymphocytic hypophysitis complicating pregnancy. To date, lymphocytic thyroiditis is the sole form of organ-specific inflammatory process within an ovarian teratoma on record. By analogy, we hypothesize that this ectopic manifestation of immune-mediated inflammation of pituitary parenchyma may possibly be read as a preclinical sentinel lesion of lymphocytic hypophysitis.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Further Contribution)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > Service Sector > Institute of Pathology > Clinical Pathology
04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Endocrinology (DFKE) > Clinic of Gynaecology
04 Faculty of Medicine > Service Sector > Institute of Pathology

UniBE Contributor:

Schreiber, Heide, Wagner, Anna Margaretha, Stähler van Amerongen, Kirsten, Surbek, Daniel, Kappeler, Andreas, Zimmermann, Arthur, Vajtai, Istvan

ISSN:

0344-0338

ISBN:

18950959

Publisher:

Elsevier

Language:

English

Submitter:

Factscience Import

Date Deposited:

04 Oct 2013 15:03

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 14:19

Publisher DOI:

10.1016/j.prp.2008.08.005

PubMed ID:

18950959

Web of Science ID:

000262944800007

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/27350 (FactScience: 106313)

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