Ectopic pituitary adenoma: The lost track of ciurea or the right man at wrong place

Abstract

The aberrant development of pituitary gland may leave functioning or nonfunctioning tissues anywhere along the craniopharyngeal canal. Ectopic pituitary adenoma is extremely rare with a reported incidence of only 0.5% in the literature. The sphenoid sinus is the most common site for ectopic pituitary adenomas. The preoperative diagnosis is often misleading with a normal “sella turcica” or “pituitary gland” with, no evidence of connection between the gland and the ectopic mass, being a pre requisite for diagnosis. Ectopic sphenoid sinus pituitary adenoma may present with nasal obstruction, headache, decreased vision or cerebrospinal fluid leak. The recent understanding in embryogenesis and effect of Wingless integrated (WNT) gene signaling suggest that ectopic glands may have a higher propensity to develop adenomas. We herein report a case of nonfunctional ectopic pituitary adenoma in the sphenoid sinus presenting with nasal stuffiness and highlight the key radiological findings. Keywords: Ectopic pituitary, Sphenoid sinus, Empty sella