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Updated: Aug 11, 2026
Endoscopic Endonasal Trans-sphenoidal Approach: Minimally Invasive Surgery for Pituitary Adenomas
Published on: January 17, 2018
Sellar neuroblastoma mimicking pituitary adenoma
Ken-ichi Oyama1, Shozo Yamada, Masaaki Usui
1Department of Hypothalamic & Pituitary Surgery, Toranomon Hospital, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan. ko-neuro@nms.ac.jp
Objective And Importance:
Primary intracranial neuroblastomas are rare. They generally arise in the supratentorial parenchyma or paraventricular region. Even more rare are primary sellar neuroblastomas. We present a neuroblastoma that arose in the sellar region and mimicked a non-functioning pituitary adenoma.
Clinical Presentation:
This 33-year-old man presented with bitemporal hemianopsia. MRI showed a sellar mass with suprasellar extension mimicking a pituitary adenoma.
Intervention:
Because of tumor recurrence and dissemination to the cervical region, he underwent 6 operations and radiosurgery. Detailed histologic examination confirmed the diagnosis of neuroblastoma. Postoperative conventional radiotherapy was effective in reducing the size of the tumor.
Conclusion:
Neuroblastoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with sellar lesions.