Brain Tumor Res Treat.  2013 Apr;1(1):54-56. 10.14791/btrt.2013.1.1.54.

Pituitary Symptomatic Salivary Gland Rest Cyst: Case Report

• Hwang JH

• KMID: 2165225
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14791/btrt.2013.1.1.54

Abstract

Although salivary gland rest in posterior pituitary is frequently observed during microscopic examination at autopsy, this rest tissue rarely causes clinical symptoms. So far, only three symptomatic salivary gland rest cyst in pituitary was reported. The author reports the 4th case of symptomatic pituitary salivary gland rest cyst in 26-year-old woman presenting with severe headache. The lesion showed hyperdense shadow on computed tomography, high signal on T1-weighted image and low signal on T2-weighted image magnetic resonance imaging. There was no enhancement of the mass after gadolinium injection. Trans-sphenoidal approach revealed that the cyst wall consisted of normal appearing salivary gland and gelatinous cyst content. Although the pituitary salivary gland rest cyst is rarely symptomatic, it should be take into consideration in the differential diagnosis of pituitary lesions.

Keyword

Pituitary gland; Ectopic salivary gland; Sella turcica; Magnetic resonance imaging

MeSH Terms

Adult
Autopsy
Diagnosis, Differential
Female
Gadolinium
Gelatin
Headache
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Pituitary Gland
Salivary Glands*
Sella Turcica
Gadolinium
Gelatin

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 A: Computed tomography revealed hyperdense shadow on sella turcica. A small nodular lesion in posterior pituitary shows low signal on T2-weighted image (B) and high signal on T1-weighted image (C). D: There was no enhancement of the mass after gadolinium injection.

• 

  Fig. 2 A: Microscopic examination showed well-formed salivary acini with a low-columnar epithelium in a fibrovascular stroma in cyst wall. B: The eosinophilic secretions are consistent with the gelatinous material found at surgery (hematoxylin and eosin, ×40).

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