Long-acting peptidomimergic control of gigantism caused by pituitary acidophilic stem cell adenoma

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2000 Sep;85(9):3409-16. doi: 10.1210/jcem.85.9.6824.

Abstract

Gigantism is caused by GH hypersecretion occurring before epiphyseal long bone closure and usually is associated with pituitary adenoma. A 15-yr-old female patient presented with accelerated growth due to a large pituitary tumor that was surgically resected to relieve pressure effects. Second surgery to remove residual tumor tissue was followed by administration of octreotide LAR, a long-acting depot somatostatin analog, together with long-acting cabergoline. Height was over the 95th percentile, with evidence of a recent growth spurt. Serum GH levels were more than 60 ng/mL (normal, <10 ng/mL) with no suppression to 75 g oral glucose, and serum PRL (>8,000 ng/mL; normal, <23 ng/mL) and insulin-like growth factor I levels (845 ng/mL; age-matched normal, 242-660 ng/mL) were elevated. Histology, immunostaining, and electron microscopy demonstrated a pituitary acidophil stem cell adenoma. Tumor tissue expressed both somatostatin receptor type 2 and dopamine receptor type 2. The Gs alpha subunit, GHRH receptor, and MEN1 genes were intact, and tumor tissue abundantly expressed pituitary tumor transforming gene (PTTG). Serum GH and PRL levels were controlled after two surgeries, and with continued cabergoline and octreotide LAR GH, PRL, and insulin-like growth factor I levels were normalized. In conclusion, administration of long-acting somatostatin analog every 4 weeks in combination with a long-acting dopamine agonist biweekly controlled biochemical parameters and accelerated growth in a patient with gigantism caused by a rare pituitary acidophil stem cell adenoma.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adenoma, Acidophil / drug therapy*
  • Adenoma, Acidophil / metabolism
  • Adenoma, Acidophil / surgery
  • Adolescent
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / therapeutic use*
  • Cabergoline
  • Delayed-Action Preparations
  • Dopamine Agonists / therapeutic use
  • Ergolines / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Gigantism / drug therapy*
  • Gigantism / metabolism
  • Gigantism / surgery
  • Hormones / blood
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Octreotide / therapeutic use*
  • Pituitary Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Pituitary Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Pituitary Neoplasms / surgery
  • Receptors, Dopamine D2 / metabolism
  • Receptors, Somatostatin / metabolism
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Stem Cells / pathology

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal
  • Delayed-Action Preparations
  • Dopamine Agonists
  • Ergolines
  • Hormones
  • Receptors, Dopamine D2
  • Receptors, Somatostatin
  • somatostatin receptor 2
  • Cabergoline
  • Octreotide