Ectopic pituitary function

Two patients with acromegaly have been treated with hypophysectomy. Because the disease was still active, the patients were reoperated. No pituitary tissue could be found at the second operations. Besides the acromegaly, one of the patients had diabetes mellitus (appeared after the first operation), Cushing's syndrome, probably ACTH-dependent, and evidence of thyrotoxicosis. In both patients extopic pituitary tissue was suspected. One of the patients reacted with a normal fall in plasma growth hormone to growth hormone releasing-inhibiting hormone. Ectopic pituitary function should be suspected, if the pituitary function is retained after a hypophysectomy.