Symptomatic pituitary metastasis of malignant thymoma

Pituitary metastases from malignant thymoma are extremely rare. We report an 86 year-old-man with pituitary metastasis of malignant thymoma who complained of visual impairment and right ptosis. A pituitary lesion, which was partially removed by trans-sphenoidal surgery, was pathologically similar to the primary lesion and was diagnosed as pituitary metastasis of malignant thymoma. One autopsied case of pituitary metastasis of malignant thymoma has been found in the literature, and one case of this condition has been previously described in life. The present paper is the second report of symptomatic pituitary metastasis of malignant thymoma. Surgical removal of the pituitary lesion is a reasonable choice for the relief of progressive visual symptoms and for good quality of life in these patients. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.