Genomic approaches to problems in pituitary neoplasia

The genetic mutations underlying familial syndromes that include pituitary tumors are rarely noted in the majority of sporadic adenohypophyseal adenomas. In contrast, epigenetic dysregulation is common, resulting in differential expression of cell cycle and apoptosis regulators, adhesion molecules, growth factors, and metabolic determinants of cell function. Here, we discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic implications of these findings as the landscape of pituitary tumor defects unfolds.