Pituitary gland metastasis from rectal cancer: report of a case and literature review

Pituitary metastases are unusual complications of malignancies. In about only 2% of patients they origin from colorectal cancer (CRC), with breast and lung as the most common primary tumors. Nevertheless, some authors reported a recent increase of the incidence of metastases in infrequent sites, such as brain or bone, arising from gastrointestinal cancers, probably due to the expanded treatment options and the resulting improved survival. Here, we report the case of a 54-year old woman diagnosed with lung metastases from rectal cancer, who, after several cycles of radio- and chemotherapy, presented symptoms and signs of pituitary disfunction (i.e. diabetes insipidus, hypothyroidism and diplopy). The diagnosis of pituitary metastasis from rectal cancer was histologically confirmed after surgery.