Pituitary autoimmunity: 30 years later

Abstract

Pituitary autoimmunity encompasses a spectrum of conditions ranging from histologically proven forms of lymphocytic hypophysitis to the presence of pituitary antibodies in apparently healthy subjects. Hypophysitis is a rare but increasingly recognized disorder that typically presents as a mass in the sella turcica. It mimics clinically and radiologically other non-functioning sellar masses, such as the more common pituitary adenoma. Hypophysitis shows a striking temporal association with pregnancy, and it has been recently described during immunotherapies that block CTLA-4. Several candidate pituitary autoantigens have been described in the last decade, although none has proven useful as a diagnostic tool. This review summarizes the advances made in the field since the publication of the first review on pituitary autoimmunity, and the challenges that await clarification.