Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026

A Novel Method: Super-selective Adrenal Venous Sampling
Published on: September 15, 2017
Multiple pituitary adenomas in Cushing's disease
1Surgical Neurology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
Object:
Clinically evident multiple pituitary adenomas rarely occur. The authors assess the incidence and clinical relevance of multiple adenomas in Cushing's disease.
Methods:
A prospective clinical database of 660 pituitary surgeries was analyzed to assess the incidence of multiple pituitary adenomas in Cushing's disease. Relevant radiographic scans, medical records, and histopathological reports were reviewed. Thirteen patients with at least two separate histopathologically confirmed pituitary adenomas were identified. Prolactinomas (nine patients) were the most common incidental tumors. Other incidental tumors included secretors of growth hormone ([GH], one patient) and GH and prolactin (two patients), and a null-cell tumor (one patient). In two patients, early repeated surgery was performed because the initial operation failed to correct hypercortisolism, in one instance because the tumor excised at the initial surgery was a prolactinoma, not an adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting tumor. One patient had three distinct tumors.
Conclusions:
Multiple pituitary adenomas are rare, but may complicate management of patients with pituitary disease.
Related Concept Videos
Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis
The Pituitary Gland
Adrenal Gland Disorders
Adrenal insufficiency, characterized by insufficient cortisol and aldosterone production, leads to conditions like Addison's disease. This disorder, affecting the adrenal cortex, exhibits symptoms such as skin bronzing, dehydration, low blood pressure, fatigue, and weight loss. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, a genetic ailment causing...
Hyperthyroidism II: Pathophysiology
Cushing Syndrome I: Introduction
Cushing Syndrome II: Pathophysiology

