Initial Symptomatic Pituitary Metastasis in a Patient with Prostate Foamy Gland Carcinoma: Tailoring Safe and Effective Therapy

Abstract

Metastases to pituitary gland are unusual and mostly asymptomatic, presenting with local symptoms in one of ten patients, and only 3%-5% of them are of prostate origin. Here we report and evaluate the effectiveness and safety of multimodal treatment in a patient with pituitary metastasis of a prostate foamy gland carcinoma. A 78-year-old male patient presented with blurred vision and headache without a previous history of malignancy. Magnetic resonance imaging scans revealed a large sellar mass, with infiltration of the surrounding structures. Maximal trans-sphenoidal reduction of pituitary metastasis was performed, with a histologic finding of metastatic prostate foamy gland adenocarcinoma. Evaluation of the prostate specific antigen revealed a very high level (1461 ng/mL) and foamy gland carcinoma was found on prostate needle biopsy. The patient received 3Dconformal external beam radiotherapy with 6 MV photons to the sellar and parasellar region with a tumor dose of 44 Gy, followed by androgen deprivation therapy. Follow up magnetic resonance imaging done after radiotherapy showed shrinkage of the tumor process, with rapid prostate specific antigen decline to 0.3 ng/mL. The visual function was fully established and headache resolved. On the last follow up 14 months after the diagnosis, the patient was alive and free from clinical signs of disease. Tailored treatment, including limited radiotherapy in a higher palliative dose, in a patient with foamy gland symptomatic pituitary metastatic disease resulted in good local and systemic control of the disease. In older male patients with clinical and/or radiologic characteristics suggestive of metastatic pituitary disease, the prostate specific antigen test should be included as part of the work-up.

Keywords

• Prostate-specific antigen
• Prostatic neoplasms
• Radiotherapy
• Pituitary neoplasms
• Neoplasm metastasis