Pathology of the pituitary gland in patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1989. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Pathology of the pituitary gland in patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Pathology. 1988 Jul;20(3):211-5. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/89083270
Ferreiro J; Vinters HV; Department of Pathology, UCLA Medical Center.

Abstract: The pituitary gland was examined at autopsy in 88 patients who died with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS-related complex (ARC). Pathologic findings included focal to widespread necrosis and/or fibrosis of the anterior pituitary gland in 10 cases, evidence of cytomegalovirus infection without an apparent inflammatory component in the anterior pituitary in 3 cases, and microglial nodules in the pars nervosa in 5 cases. In one instance, a multinucleated giant cell identical to those associated with direct human immunodeficiency virus infection of brain was identified in the pars nervosa. One patient showed focal anterior pituitary infection by Cryptococcus neoformans in the context of widespread and severe cryptococcosis. These findings are discussed in relation to the possible clinical manifestations and the neuropathologic and systemic pathologic findings in AIDS patients.
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/COMPLICATIONS/*PATHOLOGY Adult Aged Animal AIDS-Related Complex/COMPLICATIONS/*PATHOLOGY Cryptococcosis/COMPLICATIONS/PATHOLOGY Cytomegalovirus Infections/COMPLICATIONS/PATHOLOGY Female Human Male Middle Age Opportunistic Infections/COMPLICATIONS Pituitary Diseases/COMPLICATIONS/*PATHOLOGY Pituitary Gland, Anterior/*PATHOLOGY Pituitary Gland, Posterior/*PATHOLOGY Retrospective Studies Support, Non-U.S. Gov't JOURNAL ARTICLE

KWDacquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome/complications/KWDpathologyadultagedanimalaids-relatedcomplex/complications/KWDpathologycryptococcosis/complications/pathologycytomegalovirusinfections/complications/pathologyfemalehumanmalemiddleageopportunisticinfections/complicationspituitarydiseases/complications/KWDpathologypituitarygland,anterior/KWDpathologypituitarygland,posterior/KWDpathologyretrospectivestudiessupport,non-uKWDsKWDgov'tjournalarticle
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M8940261

Copyright © 1989 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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