Sellar Lymphoma and Leukemia in Childhood: A Rare Association

Primary CNS lymphomas account for 2% of cerebral neoplasms in immunocompetent patients and its incidence have been increasing recently. Pituitary lymphomas, on the contrary, are extremely rare entities, representing only 0.1 and 0.3% of all sellar tumors.

We describe a patient with a primary pituitary lymphoma, as a second neoplasm, after a successful leukemia treatment. The 14-year-old girl presented with amenorrhea, headache, and visual field defect. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a sellar mass lesion extending to the suprasellar compartment and extending to both cavernous sinuses. Endoscopic transsphenoidal resection was performed and, despite the initial clinical diagnoses of a macroadenoma, pathology revealed diffuse large B cell lymphoma.

The entity of pituitary lymphoma is extremely rare. Clinical and radiological diagnoses are usually difficult because there are no specific findings. Therefore, a sellar lymphoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a macroadenoma, especially in patients with a history of immunosuppression.

Fig. 1

Publication History

Publication Date:
02 February 2018 (online)