A Case of Pituitary Metastasis of Breast Cancer Presenting as Diabetes Insipidus and Panhypopituitarism.

Kwak, Jae Wuk; Jie, Byung Soo; Hong, Sun Hwa; Kim, Ji Hyun; Lee, Seung Hwan; Jo, Jae Hyung; Kwon, Hyuk Sang; Youn, Kun Ho; Cha, Bong Yun; Son, Ho Young

doi:2007.22.2.125

Endocrinol Metab > Volume 22(2); 2007 > Article

Case Report

Journal of Korean Endocrine Society 2007;22(2):125-129.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3803/jkes.2007.22.2.125 Published online April 1, 2007.

A Case of Pituitary Metastasis of Breast Cancer Presenting as Diabetes Insipidus and Panhypopituitarism.

Jae Wuk Kwak, Byung Soo Jie, Sun Hwa Hong, Ji Hyun Kim, Seung Hwan Lee, Jae Hyung Jo, Hyuk Sang Kwon, Kun Ho Youn, Bong Yun Cha, Ho Young Son

Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Korea.

Abstract

Metastasis to the pituitary gland from systemic cancer is a rare condition. The breast and lung are the most common sites of primary tumor metastasis. Pituitary metastasis may present with diabetes insipidus, cranial nerve palsy and hypopituitarism, and diabetes insipidus is the most frequent symptom at presentation. We report here on a 44 year-old woman with pituitary metastasis from breast cancer, and she developed central diabetes insipidus and hypopituitarism. The clinical diagnosis was made by performing a water deprivation test, a combined pituitary test and a MRI brain scan, and the latter showed metastatic tumor in the pituitary gland with invasion of the pituitary stalk. Symptomatic relief was obtained with administration of desmopressin; the urine osmolarity was increased with this treatment. We report here on a case of pituitary metastasis from breast cancer and the patient developed central diabetes insipidus and hypopituitarism. We also include a review of the relevant literature.

Key Words: Breast cancer, Central diabetes insipidus, Panhypopituitarism, Pituitary metastasis