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Encyclopedia of Pathology pp 1–5Cite as

Somatotroph Tumor

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  • First Online:

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Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Pathology ((EP))

Synonyms

GHoma; Growth hormone cell tumor; Somatotroph adenoma

Definition

A neoplasm arising in adenohypophysial tissue that is composed of epithelial neuroendocrine cells of PIT1-lineage that express PIT1 and growth hormone (Asa and Perry 2020).

Clinical Features

  • Incidence

    These tumors represent approximately 12% of surgically resected pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (Mete et al. 2018). They are almost evenly divided between densely granulated and sparsely granulated variants.

  • Age

    Somatotroph tumors can occur at almost any age; the mean age at diagnosis is 50 years for densely granulated tumors and 40 years for sparsely granulated tumors (Mete et al. 2018). However, these ages reflect what is known to be an average of a 10-year delay from onset of signs and symptoms to diagnosis.

  • Sex

    There is no gender predilection for these tumors.

  • Site

    Somatotroph tumors usually arise in the sella turcica. They are usually macrotumors (>1 cm) at the time of diagnosis. They may arise in the sphenoid...

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References and Further Reading

  • Asa, S. L., & Perry, A. (2020). Tumors of the pituitary gland (AFIP atlas of tumor pathology, series 5). Silver Spring: ARP Press.

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  • Asa, S. L., Kucharczyk, W., & Ezzat, S. (2017). Pituitary acromegaly: Not one disease. Endocrine-Related Cancer, 24, C1–C4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Denes, J., Kasuki, L., Trivellin, G., Colli, L. M., Takiya, C. M., Stiles, C. E., et al. (2015). Regulation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein (AIP) protein expression by MiR-34a in sporadic somatotropinomas. PLoS One, 10, e0117107.

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  • Ezzat, S., Caspar-Bell, G. M., Chik, C. L., Denis, M. C., Domingue, M. E., Imran, S. A., et al. (2019). Predictive markers for postsurgical medical management of acromegaly: A systematic review and consensus treatment guideline. Endocrine Practice, 25, 379–393.

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  • Mete, O., Cintosun, A., Pressman, I., & Asa, S. L. (2018). Epidemiology and biomarker profile of pituitary adenohypophysial tumors. Modern Pathology, 31, 900–909.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Spada, A., Arosio, M., Bochicchio, D., Bazzoni, N., Vallar, L., Bassetti, M., et al. (1990). Clinical, biochemical and morphological correlates in patients bearing growth hormone-secreting pituitary tumors with or without constitutively active adenylyl cyclase. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 71, 1421–1426.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vierimaa, O., Georgitsi, M., Lehtonen, R., Vahteristo, P., Kokko, A., Raitila, A., et al. (2006). Pituitary adenoma predisposition caused by germline mutations in the AIP gene. Science, 312, 1228–1230.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Hospitals, Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Sylvia L. Asa

Authors
  1. Sylvia L. Asa
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sylvia L. Asa .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. NIJMEGEN, The Netherlands

    J.H.J.M. van Krieken

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Cite this entry

Asa, S.L. (2020). Somatotroph Tumor. In: van Krieken, J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Pathology. Encyclopedia of Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28845-1_5053-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28845-1_5053-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-28845-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-28845-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine

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