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Case Reports
. 2004 Aug;14(3):163-8; discussion 168.
doi: 10.1055/s-2004-832261.

Sellar-parasellar brown tumor: case report and review of literature

Selcuk Yilmazlar  1 , Erhan Arslan, Kaya Aksoy, Sahsene Tolunay
Affiliations
Case Reports

Sellar-parasellar brown tumor: case report and review of literature

Selcuk Yilmazlar et al. Skull Base. 2004 Aug.

Abstract

Brown tumors are the end stage of primary or secondary hyperparathyroidism. Such lesions are rare because hyperparathyroidism is now usually diagnosed and treated before they develop. Skeletal bone is most frequently involved, whereas sellar-parasellar involvement is extremely rare. We report a patient with a brown tumor involving the sellar-parasellar region associated with primary hyperparathyroidism. The patient's clinical history and biochemical and radiological tests were used for the diagnosis. Excision of the sellar-parasellar mass enabled histopathological confirmation and surgical decompression of neural structures. After the transsphenoidal surgery, excision of a parathyroid adenoma normalized the patient's metabolic status. Brown tumors are rarely associated with complications but occasionally may compress neural structures such as the optic nerve as they enlarge.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A) Axial CT scan showing a lesion in the sellar region spreading through the suprasellar region, clivus, and sphenoid sinus. The expansion of the bilateral cavernous sinus (arrows) and optic canals (*) is visible. (B) Axial MRI showing compression of the bilateral optic nerves (arrows) and carotid arteries (*). (C) Sagittal T1-weighted MRI showing a cystic lesion involving the posterior ethmoidal, sphenoid, and clival region. The pituitary gland is elevated and the stalk is distorted. (D) Coronal T1-weighted MRI of the brain showing a mass filling the sphenoid sinus.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(A) Abdominal radiograph showing calcifications on both kidneys (arrowheads). (B) T-2 weighted MRI of the neck region with contrast showing a 6 × 7 mm enhancing, hyperintense lesion (arrow) on the left parathyroid. (C, D) Technetium-99-MDP (methylene diphosphanate) of skeleton. Activity in sellar-parasellar region (arrow), right parietal bone (arrowhead), right radius (*), and left tibia is increased.
Figure 3
Figure 3
(A) Photomicrograph of a histological section of brown tumor showing multinucleated, numerous giant cells (arrow), spindle-shaped stromal cells, irregular bone resorption with hemorrhage, macrophage proliferation, and fibrous connective tissue proliferation (hematoxylin and eosin, ×200 magnification). (B) The parathyroid adenoma is composed of round cells with round nuclei and pink (color not shown) cytoplasm (hematoxylin and eosin, ×400).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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