Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-nwzlb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-19T05:22:19.135Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Lung cancer presents as Addisonian crisis secondary to a solitary pituitary metastasis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2009

Aruna Turaka*
Affiliation:
Department of Radiation Oncology
Rosaleen B. Parsons
Affiliation:
Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA
Mark K. Buyyounouski
Affiliation:
Department of Radiation Oncology
*
Correspondence to: Mark K. Buyyounouski, Department of Radiation Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA. E-mail: mark.buyyounouski@fccc.edu

Abstract

We present the case of 68-year-old white man who presented with lung cancer in Addisonian crisis due to a pituitary metastasis. He was successfully treated with radiotherapy which reversed his visual field deficits. Pituitary metastasis as the first manifestation of malignancy is rare but, should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with endocrine disturbances and visual problems.

Type
Case Report
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Guillén Ponce, C, Garrido López, MP, Molina Garrido, MJ, Muñoz Molina, G, Carrato, A. Panhypopituitarism as first manifestation of a lung cancer. Clin Transl Oncol 2007; 9(1): 5355.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Agha, A, Brennan, S, Moore, KB, Grogan, L, Thompson, CJ. Small-cell lung cancer presenting as diabetes insipidus and Cushing’s syndrome. Pituitary 2005; 8(2): 105107.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bertola, G, Giambona, S, Balza, G, Oriani, A, Sironi, C, Calabrese, G et al. Panhypopituitarism from pituitary metastasis of breast cancer. Recenti Prog Med 2007; 98(2): 8789.Google Scholar
Granata, A, Figura, M, Gulisano, S, Romeo, G, Sicurezza, E, Failla, A et al. Central diabetes insipidus as a first manifestation of lung adenocarcinoma. Clin Ter 2007; 158(6): 519522.Google ScholarPubMed
Schubiger, O, Haller, D. Metastasis to the pituitary–hypothalamic axis. An MR study of 7 symptomatic patients. Neuroradiology 1992; 34(2): 131134.Google Scholar
Goglia, U, Ferone, D, Sidoti, M, Spaziante, R, Dadati, P, Ravetti, JL et al. Treatment of a pituitary metastasis from a neuroendocrine tumor: case report and literature review. Pituitary 2008; 11(1): 93102.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Poullin, P, di Costanzo, V, Le Pommelet, C, Gabriel, B. Diabetes insipidus disclosing metastasis of breast adenocarcinoma. Rev Med Intern 1995; 16(6): 444446.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lau, G, Tan, SY, Chiang, G, Poh, WT. Bronchioloalveolar carcinoma with metastasis to the pituitary gland: a case report. J Clin Pathol 1998; 51(12): 931934.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Komninos, J, Vlassopoulou, V, Protopapa, D, Korfias, S, Kontogeorgos, G, Sakas, DE et al. Tumors metastatic to the pituitary gland: case report and literature review. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2004; 89(2): 574580.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Piorunek, T, Nowicka, A, Mlynarczyk, W, Nowak, S, Majewski, T, Sosnowski, P. Adenocarcinoma of the lung with metastasis to the pituitary and both adrenal glands. Pneumonol Alergol Pol 2004; 72(1–2): 2327.CrossRefGoogle Scholar