Pituicytoma: Review of commonalities and distinguishing features among TTF-1 positive tumors of the central nervous system

Pituicytoma is a rare low-grade glial neoplasm that originates in the distribution of the neurohypophysis, including the posterior pituitary lobe and infundibular stalk. The tumor cells resemble pituicytes, which are specialized glial cells of the neurohypophysis. Pituicytoma can be misdiagnosed pre-operatively as a pituitary adenoma due to overlapping clinical and neuroimaging features between these two entities. Pituicytoma can also mimic other neoplasms of the sellar and parasellar regions microscopically – meningioma, schwannoma and pilocytic astrocytoma – and shares immunohistochemical expression of TTF-1 with spindle cell oncocytoma and granular cell tumor of the sellar region, suggesting a common histogenesis.
Source: Annals of Diagnostic Pathology - Category: Pathology Authors: Source Type: research