CASE REPORT
J Neurosurg 126:1725–1730, 2017
D
iffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most
common form of lymphoid malignancy and most
frequent type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)
in the world across age and demographics;
15,43
it accounts
for approximately 30% of all lymphomas. DLBCL is most
commonly found in middle-aged or elderly individuals,
with a median age at diagnosis in the sixth decade of life.
Men are at slightly higher risk than women.
18
Patients
commonly present with a painless mass in the neck, groin,
or abdomen associated with an array of constitutional
symptoms, including fever, weight loss, night sweats, and
fatigue. Central nervous system involvement may be ob-
served in 2%–5% of cases; however, DLBCL presenting
as a primary CNS lesion is quite rare, representing less
than 1% of all primary brain tumors.
14
Primary CNS pre-
sentation is usually associated with immunosuppression
but has recently been identifed with increasing frequency
in immunocompetent individuals.
14
Although the WHO classifes DLBCL as a single dis-
ease entity, there is signifcant variation in clinical presen-
tation, behavior, response to treatment, and long-term out-
comes.
36
DLBCL is typically treated with a combination
of anthracycline chemotherapy and immunomodulatory
medications,
7,13,29,30,37
with nearly 60%–70% of patients
achieving a cure.
36
In this paper we describe a unique case of a 61-year-old
woman diagnosed with a pituitary DLBCL, an activated
B-cell immunophenotype, and growth hormone hyperpla-
sia. Because this is the only reported case of its kind, we
review the entity in the context of the pertinent literature
and describe its management.
Case Report
History and Presentation
A 61-year-old, previously healthy woman presented
with worsening headaches. She had laboratory evidence of
elevated prolactin of 63 ng/ml (reference 2.8–26.0 ng/ml)
and hypothyroidism (thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH]
0.03 mU/L [reference 0.35–4.94 mU/L] and free thyrox-
ine 0.45 ng/dl [reference 0.71–1.85 ng/dl]). Additionally,
she had an elevation in insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-
ABBREVIATIONS ACTH = adrenocorticotropic hormone; DLBCL = diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; GHRH = growth hormone–releasing hormone; IGF-1 = insulin-like growth
factor-1; NHL = non-Hodgkin lymphoma; PCNSL = primary central nervous system lymphoma; R-CHOP = rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin hydrochloride, vincris-
tine sulfate, and prednisone; SIADH = syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone; TSH = thyroid-stimulating hormone.
SUBMITTED April 4, 2016. ACCEPTED May 26, 2016.
INCLUDE WHEN CITING Published online August 12, 2016; DOI: 10.3171/2016.5.JNS16828.
Primary pituitary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with
somatotroph hyperplasia and acromegaly: case report
Vijay M. Ravindra, MD, MSPH,
1
Amol Raheja, MBBS,
1
Heather Corn, MD,
2
Meghan Driscoll, MD,
3
Corrine Welt, MD,
2
Debra L. Simmons, MD, MS,
2
and William T. Couldwell, MD, PhD
1
1
Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neurosciences Center and Huntsman Cancer Institute,
2
Department of Internal Medicine,
Division of Endocrinology, and
3
Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and comprises approxi-
mately 30% of all lymphomas. Patients typically present with a nonpainful mass in the neck, groin, or abdomen associ-
ated with constitutional symptoms. In this report, however, the authors describe a rare case of a 61-year-old woman
with hyperprolactinemia, hypothyroidism, and acromegaly (elevation of insulin-like growth factor-1 [IGF-1]) with elevated
growth hormone–releasing hormone (GHRH) in whom an MRI demonstrated diffuse enlargement of the pituitary gland.
Despite medical treatment, the patient had persistent elevation of IGF-1. She underwent a transsphenoidal biopsy, which
yielded a diagnosis of DLBCL with an activated B-cell immunophenotype with somatotroph hyperplasia. After stereo-
tactic radiation therapy in combination with chemotherapy, she is currently in remission from her lymphoma and has
normalized IGF-1 levels without medical therapy, 8 months after her histopathological diagnosis. This is the only reported
case of its kind and displays the importance of a broad differential diagnosis, multidisciplinary evaluation, and critical
intraoperative decision-making when treating atypical sellar lesions.
https://thejns.org/doi/abs/10.3171/2016.5.JNS16828
KEY WORDS pituitary surgery; lymphoma; B-cell; somatotroph hyperplasia
©AANS, 2017 J Neurosurg Volume 126 • May 2017 1725