Adamantinoma or Ameloblastoma of the Hypophyseal-Duct Region: With Report of a Case

Abstract

In Duffy's (11) discussion of tumors of the hypophyseal duct (1920) is included an historical survey in which it appears that Rathke was the first to state, in 1838, that the hypophysis developed from a diverticulum of the pharynx. Zenker in 1857 demonstrated squamous-lined cysts in the anterior lobe of the hypophysis, and in 1860 Luschka first noted the presence of groups of squamous epithelial cells in the sections of some normal hypophyses. It was not until 1875, however, that the essential points in the formation and structure of the hypophysis were finally settled and clearly presented. This was done by Goette and von Mihalkovics, who independently demonstrated the ectodermal origin of the anterior lobe. In 1892 Onanoff drew attention to the similarity of certain tumors of the hypophyseal region to the adamantinomas of the jaw. In 1904 Erdheim, in making serial sections of thirteen normal adult hypophyses, found squamous epithelial cell rests in ten. These epithelial rests were usually located along the anterior surface of the infundibulum and beneath the capsule of the upper surface of the anterior lobe. Erdheim believed that these cell groups formed the point of origin for the adamantinomas. In 1926 Critchley and Ironside (12) defined this tumor of the hypophyseal-duct region as follows: “The pituitary adamantinoma may be defined as a variety of epithelial tumor growing in the neighborhood of the infundibulum, and originating in unobliterated portions of the fetal craniopharyngeal duct; its minute structure is a duplicate of the embryonic enamel organ, the general histological appearance resembles that of the adamantine tumors of the jaw.”