[Anaplastic adenomas of the pituitary gland]

A clinical analysis of 108 cases of anaplastic hypophyseal adenomas (AHA) was performed to formulate the clinical AHA symptom-complex and to study their biological peculiarities. AHA is a transitory type from benign to malignant tumors. It accounts for 2.5-18% of all hypophyseal adenomas. The anamnesis period is surprisingly short even in cases of large and giant neoplasms. It is suggested that the tumor becomes malignant in a certain stage of its development and grows rapidly. Hence the tendency of AHA toward bleeding caused by insufficient blood supply of the rapidly growing tumor. Asymmetric visual function disturbance and vast destructive changes in the bony base of the skull are common to AHA. Cavernous sinus invasion and oculomotor nerve involvement were observed in all the patients in different combinations. The frontal and temporal lobes and oral stem regions were often affected. Having once emerged, the cerebral signs progressed due to tumor influence on the ventricular system. AHA were ectopic in 3 cases, with adenohypophyseal tuberculum origin. Taken as a separate group, AHA may serve more differentiated choice of surgical treatment, radiation and drug therapy of the tumor.