Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28120170›Full record

ArticleEndocrine pathology2017

Xanthomatous Hypophysitis Is Associated with Ruptured Rathke's Cleft Cyst.

Kai Duan, Sylvia L Asa, Daniel Winer, Zadeh Gelareh, Fred Gentili, Ozgur Mete

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Endocrine pathology, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
21citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
3.4field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

21 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 45 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. An update on hypophysitis.Nature reviews. Endocrinology · 2026
    Review
  6. Mimickers of pituitary tumors.Neuro-oncology advances · 2025
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Panhypopituitarism Mimicking Acute Coronary Syndrome.Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan) · 2023
    Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Review
  20. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Kai DuanDepartment of Pathology, University Health Network, 200 Elizabeth Street, 11th floor, Toronto, ON, M5G 2C4, Canada.
Sylvia L AsaDepartment of Pathology, University Health Network, 200 Elizabeth Street, 11th floor, Toronto, ON, M5G 2C4, Canada.
Daniel WinerDepartment of Pathology, University Health Network, 200 Elizabeth Street, 11th floor, Toronto, ON, M5G 2C4, Canada.
Zadeh GelarehEndocrine Oncology Site Group, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Fred GentiliEndocrine Oncology Site Group, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Ozgur MeteDepartment of Pathology, University Health Network, 200 Elizabeth Street, 11th floor, Toronto, ON, M5G 2C4, Canada. ozgur.mete2@uhn.ca.
University of Toronto · CAPrincess Margaret Cancer Centre · CAUniversity Health Network · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Xanthomatous hypophysitis is a rare inflammatory disease of the pituitary gland that can mimic a neoplastic lesion clinically and radiologically. Its pathogenesis remains largely unknown, although recent evidence suggests that pituitary inflammation may occur as a secondary reaction to mucous content released from a ruptured cyst. In a series of 1221 pituitary specimens, we identified seven cases of xanthomatous hypophysitis. Six patients had complete radiological and biochemical workup preoperatively: a cystic-appearing pituitary mass was identified in all six patients (100%) with a mean size of 2.0 cm (range 1.4-2.5 cm) on imaging, and pituitary endocrine dysfunction was noted in five patients (83.3%). In all cases, the pituitary mass was resected through an endoscopic transsphenoidal approach. Pathological examination revealed the presence of foamy macrophages admixed with variable amounts of giant cells and chronic inflammatory cells, confirming the diagnosis of xanthomatous hypophysitis. Additionally, all cases presented with concurrent findings of ruptured Rathke's cleft cyst, with the exception of one patient who had previous surgery for a Rathke's cleft cyst, followed by recurrence and diagnosis of xanthomatous hypophysitis. While accurate distinction of hypophysitis from a pituitary neoplasm can be problematic in the preoperative setting, the identification of a cystic lesion in the sella turcica should raise the possibility of such an entity in the clinical and radiological differential diagnosis. The current series provides further evidence that xanthomatous hypophysitis predominantly occurs as a secondary reaction to a ruptured Rathke's cleft cyst; thus, it is best classified as a secondary (reactive) hypophysitis.

Indexed as

AdultCentral Nervous System CystsFemaleHumansHypophysitisMaleMiddle AgedPituitary NeoplasmsRetrospective StudiesRupture, SpontaneousXanthomatosisHypophysitisPituitary adenomaRathke cleft cystXanthomatous inflammation

Identifiers

PMID28120170
OpenAlexW2580786654

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.