'Acidophilic' pituitary tumors: a reappraisal with differential staining and immunocytochemical techniques

The cells of pituitary adenomas classified as acidophilic on PAS-light green-orange G staining could be further differentiated with the Brookes technique: they stained nonspecifically bluish-gray, orange with orange G, or red with carmoisine. On immunostaining for growth hormone and prolactin, the gray cells were either negative or reactive for prolactin, the orange cells contained growth hormone, and the red cells contained prolactin. Of 28 tumors, eight showed no immunostaining, 11 stained only for prolactin, three stained only for growth hormone, five contained mostly growth hormone cells and some prolactin cells, and one contained predominantly prolactin cells but also numerous growth hormone cells. Immunoreactive growth hormone granules in adenoma cells were usually arranged randomly; prolactin granules were often concentrated along one nuclear pole. This study emphasizes the tinctorial and immunocytochemical heterogeneity of "acidophilic" adenomas.